Slide 1
Gross: These are sections taken through a carcinoma of the head of the pancreas. The lesion is an ill-defined, tan-white mass which largely effaces the normal lobular architecture of the pancreas. The tumor blends imperceptibly into the surrounding pancreas and invades the wall of the duodenum.  Two lymph nodes contain metastatic carcinoma. It may be virtually impossible for the surgeon in the operating room to distinguish carcinoma of the pancreas from chronic pancreatitis.

Slide 2
Is a low power view of the glass slide in your class set. This is a section taken through the head of the pancreas from a patient with a duct cell adenocarcinoma. The viable tumor (T) is peripherally located. It shows a central area of necrosis (N). Immediately adjacent to the tumor, the pancreas shows chronic pancreatitis (large arrow). One normal pancreatic lobule (skinny arrow) is seen at the extreme right hand edge of the slide. The slide which you have contains a section taken through the extrapancreatic portion of the common bile duct (CD).

Slide 3
This low power view shows a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Irregularly shaped malignant glands are embedded in chronically inflamed fibrous tissue. Adenocarcinomas of the pancreas typically excite this fibrous reaction in the surrounding tissue. When palpated, the tumor may be extremely hard, making it virtually impossible to differentiate from chronic pancreatitis.