Pancreatic cancer cell. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a pancreatic cancer cell. The irregular shape of the cells, the cellular projections and blebs (nodules) are typical of cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer often causes no symptoms until it is well established and untreatable. Most pancreatic cancers start in the exocrine cells and are known as exocrine tumours. Pancreatic cancer survival has not shown much improvement in the last 40 years with less than 1% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer surviving more than 10 years. Magnification: x3000 when printed at 10 cm wide.