Pancreatic Cancer: World’s 4th Leading Cause of Cancer Deaths

Pancreatic cancer is one of the few cancers in which survival has not improved. It has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers, making it ranked fourth as the world’s leading cause of cancer deaths.

Pancreatic cancer is the development of cancer cells in the pancreas, an organ located behind our stomach. The pancreas releases enzymes that support digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of sugar in our body.

Pancreatic cancer happens when cells in the pancreas grow, divide and spread uncontrollably, thus forming a malignant tumor. But the exact cause of pancreatic cancer is still unknown. Though there are several potential risk factors that contribute to this cell behaviour in the pancreas. This includes:

Smoking

Excess body weight
Pancreatitis
Diabetes
Age, gender and race – because it is more common in men, people 65 years old and over, and in African-American race
Genes
Gastrectomy

What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer do not occur right away. It is sometimes called the “silent disease” because it rarely shows early symptoms and later gives non-specific symptoms. The symptoms vary, and depend on where the cancer is located, where it has spread and how big the tumor is. This usually lead to pancreatic cancer often not diagnosed until too late.

Some of the symptoms include:

Upper abdominal pain that may scatter on the back
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Nausea
Depression
Blood clots
Change in bowel habits
Jaundice

How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?

The doctor will refer tests to be done if a person is suspected to have pancreatic cancer. Aside from knowing your family’s history and performing a physical exam, tests may include any of the following;

Ultrasound – creates a picture of your pancreas.
Blood tests – checks how well your liver and kidney are working and measure for a protein that gives your doctor important information.
Computed Tomography (CT) scan – is a special x-ray that builds a three-dimensional picture of the body.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – uses magnetism to build three-dimensional pictures of your body, like CT scan.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) – use to see the inside of the digestive system. This is also used to inject dye into the pancreas and bile duct to allow images of these organs to appear on x-ray images.
Tissue biopsy – a small sample of the pancreas will be removed to be examined in the laboratory.
Angiogram – is used to x-ray blood vessels.
Positron emission tomography (PET) scans – is useful to detect if the disease has spread.

What are the treatments for pancreatic cancer?

Treatment for pancreatic cancer will depend on the stage, size and location of the cancer, together with your age, overall health and whether it has spread to other parts of your body. Patients may receive one or a combination of the following treatments:

Surgery – this is generally done if the cancer is spread only to the pancreas. It is an attempt to cure pancreatic cancer, but it is also done to prevent or lessen the symptoms.

Chemotherapy – is given to slow pancreatic cancer’s growth. It is usually a drug that help kill cancer cell and can be taken orally or be injected in the veins.

Radiotherapy – aims to destroy any cancer cells that might remain in the body after surgery. It can also be used as the main treatment when surgery is not possible.

Chemoradiation – is the combination of chemotherapy and radiation that is used to treat cancer which has spread beyond the pancreas, but only to nearby organs. This is also used to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer to recur after surgery.

Palliative care – aims to reduce discomfort for patients whose pancreatic cancer cannot be cured even by surgery. This focuses on improving quality of life by relieving the symptoms.

How can pancreatic cancer be prevented?

Since the cause of pancreatic cancer is still unknown, there is no sure way to prevent the silent disease. Taking care of your overall health is the most effective way to reduce the risk of it.

Quit smoking to reduce the risk of having pancreatic cancer. Cigarette use is thought to be the main factor for the disease.
Maintain a normal weight by exercising and engaging in daily physical activities.
Eat a healthy diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Though there is no evidence to prove that doing these will guidelines will prevent or reduce pancreatic cancer, keeping a healthy body is likely to be infected or affected by any kinds of illness or disease.