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What Is Pancreatic Cancer?
Pancreatic cancer is the cancer that will not quit! More
often than not pancreatic cancer goes unnoticed until it's
too late. For the vast majority of patients who get the diagnosis,
the only treatment available is end-of-life care meant to
ease their suffering.
Cancer of the pancreas has been called "the challenge
of the twenty-first century" due to the difficulty of
treatment. The American Cancer Society projects more than
33,000 Americans, more than 50% of them men, will be diagnosed
with pancreatic cancer this year. Pancreatic cancer will kill
an estimated 32,300 patients in the U.S. this year, making
pancreatic cancer the fourth-leading cause of cancer death.
For advanced pancreatic cancer that isn't treated, the median
survival is about three and a half months. Good treatment
can increase survival to around six months. Surgical removal
("resection") of the cancer is currently the only
chance for a cure for patients with cancer of the pancreas.
Unfortunately, many cancers of the pancreas are not detectable
at the time of diagnosis, and chemotherapy and radiation therapy
are the main treatments. The chemotherapeutic agent most commonly
used to treat cancer of the pancreas is Gemzar®, but Dr.Dan
Laheru is currently exploring new approaches.
Risk Factors Of Pancreatic Cancer
The risk of developing cancer of the pancreas is usually
low before the age of 40, but the risk subsequently increases
sharply, with most people diagnosed between their sixties
and eighties. Risk factors for the development of this disease
include environmental factors, medical/surgical factors, genetic
factors, and occupational exposures.
- Age - The incidence of pancreatic cancer is relatively
low in individuals up to age 50, after which it increases
significantly. The age group 65 - 79 has the highest incidence
of cancer of the pancreas.
- Smoking - Smokers develop pancreatic cancer more
than twice as often as nonsmokers.
- Diet - Frequency of pancreatic cancer may be associated
with high intakes of meat and fat.
- Medical Factors - Pancreatic cancer is more common
among individuals with histories of the following conditions:
cirrhosis (a chronic liver disease), chronic pancreatitis,
diabetes and a history of surgery to the upper digestive
tract.
- Environmental Factors - Long-term exposure to certain
chemicals, such as gasoline and related compounds, as well
as certain insecticides, may increase the risk of developing
cancer of the pancreas.
- Genetic Predisposition: Possibly 3% of cases of
pancreatic cancer are related to genetic disorders.
Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer
The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is usually delayed because
symptoms are nonspecific. Jaundice, which causes yellowing
of the skin, is present in approximately 50% of patients at
the time of diagnosis and may be associated with less-advanced
disease. Other symptoms include weight loss due to digestive
problems, gas build up, fatigue, discomfort in the abdomen,
loss of appetite, and glucose intolerance.
In addition, the patient may experience pain in the abdomen
and back. The pancreas may produce too much insulin, causing
such symptoms as dizziness, weakness, diarrhea, chills, or
muscle spasms.
The patient may not even notice the gradual onset of these
relatively nonspecific symptoms. The doctor may interpret
them as being caused by something else.
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