Pancreatic Cancer Information

Pancreatic cancer, also referred to as exocrine cancer, occurs when malignant (cancerous) cells develop on the pancreas, the organ responsible for producing hormones and enzymes that aid digestion and metabolism. Because pancreatic cancer develops quickly and has relatively few symptoms in its early stages, by the time doctors detect, it is usually in advanced stages.

As a result, pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancers. Another reason pancreatic cancer is so deadly is because by the time pancreatic cancer is diagnosed, typically when it has progressed to later stages and therefore malignant cells have already spread to other parts of the body.

When cancerous cells spread from their original source, the cancer has metastasized, meaning it begins to cause tumors to develop in other parts of the body. Once pancreatic cancer has metastasized, many of the traditional treatment options for this type of cancer become ineffective.

Because experts still know relatively little about the early stages of pancreatic cancer, researchers continue working to unearth the genetic factors associated with this type of cancer. As clinical trials keep investigating pancreatic cancer, they will help doctors develop better diagnostic and treatment tools.

In this section, we will discuss the symptoms and diagnostic process associated with pancreatic cancer. Our articles will provide you with the most current information on pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

In early stages, pancreatic cancer tends to be asymptomatic, meaning that it doesn’t cause any identifiable symptoms. This is one of the main reasons that diagnosing pancreatic cancer early is extremely difficult.

However, as symptoms start to arise, pancreatic cancer patients tend to experience:

abdominal and back pain
itchiness (due to high levels of acid in the blood)
jaundice, a condition in which the liver fails to process red blood cell waste, causing the skin and the whites of the eyes to yellow
loss of appetite
nausea
problems digesting food
weight loss.

Knowing when to go to your doctor for a proper diagnosis and immediate treatment depends on whether or not you understand what pancreatic cancer symptoms are.

Risk Factors and Causes

While medical experts understand that genetic mutations and disrupted DNA strands lead to the development of cancerous cells, they are still unsure of what causes genes and DNA to become abnormal. As a result, the specific causes of pancreatic cancer remain unknown.

However, cancer experts have identified certain risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer, include:

Gender: Women are more likely than men to develop pancreatic cancer.
Lifestyle choices: Smokers risk for developing pancreatic cancer is triple that of non-smokers.
Race: African Americans are more likely than other races to develop this type of cancer.

While the precise causes of pancreatic cancer remain unknown, take preventative measures by understanding the associated risk factors.

Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis

As previously stated, pancreatic cancer is most often diagnosed in its later stages, making it far less treatable and, therefore, highly deadly. Nevertheless, if you are experiencing any symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer, your doctor will perform a series of diagnostic tests to confirm or rule out pancreatic cancer. These tests include:

biopsy to test if questionable cells are, in fact, cancerous
computerized tomography (CT) scans to get an image of your internal organs
endoscopic ultrasounds (EUS) to generate images of the pancreas using soundwaves.

Once someone has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the prognosis is generally grim:

About 10 to 15 percent of pancreatic cancer patients survive a year after diagnosis.
Less than 20 percent of patients are eligible for surgery. This number is so low because patients in which the cancer has metastasized are ineligible for surgical removal of malignancies.
Only 3 percent of pancreatic cancer patients survive for more than 5 years after being diagnosed with this condition.

The key to having the best prognosis for pancreatic cancer is early diagnosis.

Resources

Cancer Research UK (May 21, 2007). Statistics and Prognosis for Pancreatic Cancer. Retrieved October 19, 2007 from the Cancer Research UK Web site: http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=7519.

Mayo Clinic (updated October 4, 2006). Pancreatic Cancer. Retrieved October 19, 2007 from the Mayo Clinic Web site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pancreatic-cancer/DS00357/DSECTION=1.