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Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is cancer of the pancreas, an organ which sits near the stomach and is responsible for secreting digestive fluids and the hormone insulin. Ninety five percent of all pancreatic cancer involves a tumor which typically develops in the cell lining of the pancreatic duct, called adenocarcinoma. A pancreatic cancer tumor can develop at the head, body, or tail of the pancreas.
Approximately one in every 10,000 Americans will develop pancreatic cancer each year. Pancreatic cancer commonly develops after the age of 50, with 55 as the average age of pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Men are twice as likely to develop pancreatic cancer as women. African Americans are also slightly at greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer. People with chronic pancreatitis and those with diabetes are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. Heavy smokers are two to three times more likely than non-smokers to develop pancreatic cancer.
Research has discovered that genetics may play a part in one's risk of developing pancreatic cancer. People with a family history of ovarian, colon, and/or pancreatic cancer may be at greater risk. While this is true, people with no family history may develop pancreatic cancer and those who are thought to be at greater risk may not. Studies have also found that high fat diets may increase one's risk for this cancer. Some chemical hazards in the workplace and the environment have also been linked to pancreatic cancer.
When pancreatic cancer develops in the head of the pancreas, a patient may develop jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), itchiness of the skin, and vomiting. When pancreatic cancer develops in the body or tail of the pancreas, a patient is often asymptomatic until the tumor has metastasized, or spread to surrounding tissues or other areas of the body. When the tumor is in the body or tail, ninety percent have metastasized by the time of diagnosis. The first symptoms that do appear can include weight loss, pain in the abdomen, spleen enlargement, and severe bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract.
Early diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer in the body or tail is difficult due to the lack of outward signs and symptoms. Physical examinations and blood exams may even come back normal. The most accurate diagnostic test used in suspected cases of pancreatic cancer is the CT scan (computed tomography). Ultrasound, MRI, biopsy and other medical tests may also help diagnose pancreatic cancer.
The prognosis for pancreatic cancer is not very good, as only two percent of those diagnosed survive for more than five years. Surgery is used in only ten percent of patients, when doctors believe their tumors have not metastasized. Even when surgery is performed to remove the pancreas and necessary surrounding tissues, the patient only has a ten to fifteen percent chance of surviving five years after diagnosis. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments are not generally effective in treating pancreatic cancer. There are some medical treatments that can be used to reduce a patient's symptoms or discomfort.
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