Pancreas lies horizontally behind the stomach. It serves to release enzymes that help digestion, and hormones that serve to regulate carbohydrates metabolism. It helps regulating the sugar level (glucose) of your body.
Pancreatic cancer spreads very fast and it is difficult to spot it, therefore, it is a major cause of death among cancer illnesses. It is a cancer that spreads very rapidly to other parts and organs of the body, making surgical intervention useless in protecting the patient from death.
How does cancer develop in your pancreas? Most tumors form in the cells that produce digestive enzymes. These tumors that are called adenocarcinomas account for nearly 95% of cancer pancreatic.
Endocrine tumors that form in the islet cells are less common. Upon existence, they produce too much hormone. Very serious are the ampullary cancers that form in the ampulla of Vater, it is where your bile and pancreatic ducts are emptied into your small intestine. These tumors when blocking the bile duct, lead to jaundice.
The developing of pancreatic cancer happens when the DNA is damaged, and the growth and division of healthy cells becomes uncontrolled. Thus, a tumor is formed which is a formation of malignant cells.
A small number of people develop this cancer due to genetic predisposition. In 90% of the cases environmental factors, lifestyle, smoking, diet, and chemical exposure lead to the formation of cancer.
According to surveys, black men and women are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer, being overweight and working with petroleum compounds also play a risk factor.
How do you suspect that you may have developed cancer in your pancreas? First of all, you lose your appetite, develop sharp abdominal pain, suddenly lose weight, and have jaundice, yellowing of the skin. It is important to mention Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that infect your mucus and your stomach. In many cases it is asymptomatic.
Courvoisier's law predicts that jaundice and a painless gallbladder that is distended are together indicative of pancreatic cancer. This cancer can be spotted while carrying out liver function tests, along with ultrasound and abdominal CT examinations. Endoscopic ultrasound is a painful, but effective way of spotting the tumor.
Patients having cancer in their pancreas have a poor prognosis due to the cancer not causing evident symptoms in the early stage. Mortality is around 99% in the United States, ranking cancer pancreatic as the number one fatal cancer in America.
This cancer may result in diabetes which turns out to be a life-long illness exposing the patient at discomfort and high risk of death if not treated properly. The American Cancer Society promotes high consumption of vegetables and fruits and lower consumption of red meat. Like with all other cancers, smoking proves a major factor in developing this cancer as well.
Prevention of cancer is vital. Long-term examinations have proved that taking vitamin D helps in decreasing the risk of cancer with 50%. Lately, younger generations have been affected, however, these patients have responded well to treatment in the UK, for example. There is hope for better treatment and diagnosis, these cases have proved the general statistics wrong. For further details, please consult the Pancreatic Cancer UK organization.
By Riley Hendersen
Pancreatic Cancer - One of the Deadliest Cancers
By Riley Hendersen
The American Cancer Society predicts that, in 2007, about 37,170 people in the United States will be found to have pancreatic cancer and about 33,370 will die of the disease. Pancreatic is one of the deadliest of all cancers with one of the lowest survival rates. According to the American Cancer Society, only about 5% of pancreatic cancer patients will be alive 5 years after the cancer is found. Even for those with local disease (it has not spread to other organs), the 5-year relative survival rate is only 16%.
Many people don't know what pancreatic cancer is because they are not familiar with the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland found behind the stomach. It is shaped a little bit like a fish. It is about 6 inches long and less than 2 inches wide. It extends across the abdomen. The pancreas serves two functions. It breaks down the fats and proteins in the food we eat so the body can use them. The pancreas also makes hormones to help balance the amount of sugar in the blood.
While pancreatic cancer can strike anyone, the American Cancer Society has identified several risk factors for pancreatic cancer:
* Almost percent of pancreatic cancer patients are older than 55.
* Men have this cancer more often than women.
* African Americans are more likely to have this cancer than are whites.
* The risk of this cancer is higher among smokers.
* There may be a link with eating a lot of red meat and pork, especially processed meat (such as sausage and bacon).
* Very overweight people are 20% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
* Pancreatic cancer is more common in people with diabetes.
* Some chemicals such as certain bug sprays, dyes, or gasoline products may raise the risk of this cancer.
* Cancer of the pancreas seems to run in some families. It seems to account for about 1 in 10 cases.
Some of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer, according to the American Cancer Society are:
* Pain in the belly area (abdomen) or in the middle of the back is a very common sign of advanced pancreatic cancer. Again, such pain is often caused by something other than cancer.
* Losing weight (without trying) over a number of months is very common in patients with this cancer. They may also feel very tired and have a loss of appetite.
* If the cancer blocks the release of the pancreatic juice into the intestine, problems such as trouble breaking down fat can result. Stools might be pale, bulky, greasy, and float in the toilet. Other problems may include nausea, vomiting, and pain that tends to be worse after eating.
* The doctor may find that the gallbladder is enlarged.
Many patients are treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to prolong their life. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms, you should contact a doctor for testing. Early diagnosis and treatment can help increase your chance of surviving pancreatic cancer.
The American Cancer Society predicts that, in 2007, about 37,170 people in the United States will be found to have pancreatic cancer and about 33,370 will die of the disease. Pancreatic is one of the deadliest of all cancers with one of the lowest survival rates. According to the American Cancer Society, only about 5% of pancreatic cancer patients will be alive 5 years after the cancer is found. Even for those with local disease (it has not spread to other organs), the 5-year relative survival rate is only 16%.
Many people don't know what pancreatic cancer is because they are not familiar with the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland found behind the stomach. It is shaped a little bit like a fish. It is about 6 inches long and less than 2 inches wide. It extends across the abdomen. The pancreas serves two functions. It breaks down the fats and proteins in the food we eat so the body can use them. The pancreas also makes hormones to help balance the amount of sugar in the blood.
While pancreatic cancer can strike anyone, the American Cancer Society has identified several risk factors for pancreatic cancer:
* Almost percent of pancreatic cancer patients are older than 55.
* Men have this cancer more often than women.
* African Americans are more likely to have this cancer than are whites.
* The risk of this cancer is higher among smokers.
* There may be a link with eating a lot of red meat and pork, especially processed meat (such as sausage and bacon).
* Very overweight people are 20% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
* Pancreatic cancer is more common in people with diabetes.
* Some chemicals such as certain bug sprays, dyes, or gasoline products may raise the risk of this cancer.
* Cancer of the pancreas seems to run in some families. It seems to account for about 1 in 10 cases.
Some of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer, according to the American Cancer Society are:
* Pain in the belly area (abdomen) or in the middle of the back is a very common sign of advanced pancreatic cancer. Again, such pain is often caused by something other than cancer.
* Losing weight (without trying) over a number of months is very common in patients with this cancer. They may also feel very tired and have a loss of appetite.
* If the cancer blocks the release of the pancreatic juice into the intestine, problems such as trouble breaking down fat can result. Stools might be pale, bulky, greasy, and float in the toilet. Other problems may include nausea, vomiting, and pain that tends to be worse after eating.
* The doctor may find that the gallbladder is enlarged.
Many patients are treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to prolong their life. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms, you should contact a doctor for testing. Early diagnosis and treatment can help increase your chance of surviving pancreatic cancer.