What is pancreatic cancer (PC)?
What are the main causes of pancreatic cancer?
What food causes pancreatic cancer?
What are the signs & symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
What are the risk factors of pancreatic cancer?
What are the stages of pancreatic cancer?
How do doctors diagnose pancreatic cancer?
What are the treatment options of pancreatic cancer? Is pancreatic cancer curable with chemotherapy?
When can surgery in pancreatic cancer not be done?
Is pancreatic cancer always fatal? Why is it fatal?
What are the survival rates of pancreatic cancer?
Pancreatic cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the tissues of the pancreas. There are two types of pancreatic cancer:
While it may not be possible to identify the exact reason for a specific person to develop pancreatic cancer, biological principles of cancer development may help in understanding the underlying reasons. Further, large population-based studies generally help in understanding the role of the various risk factors for pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is a disease that is primarily caused due to damage to the DNA i.e deoxyribonucleic acid, the carrier of genetic information. The damage to DNA in scientific terms is often referred to as mutations. Generally these mutations can be inherited by a child from either of the parents or they can be acquired as a person ages. Pancreatic cancer is also considered to be a result of these mutations in the DNA.
While there is no certain evidence of any specific food item that may cause pancreatic cancer. Studies have suggested that there may be some link of the disease with diets that may be high in
On the contrary, diets high in fruits and vegetables may be considered to reduce risk. The vitamin folate may have a protective role to play.
Early signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer may not be very evident. However, in advanced stages, some of the following signs and symptoms can be present:
Since these signs and symptoms are common in occurrence and may be associated with other medical conditions as well, diagnosis of pancreatic cancer may become difficult.
As stated earlier, there are no specific causes of pancreatic cancer, but some factors that can increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer include:
The stage of a pancreatic cancer is determined based on the extent of growth and spread in the body. Stating of the cancer also helps the oncologist to decide the treatment plan.
Staging of pancreatic cancer is done using American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Tumor, Nodes, metastasized (TNM) system:
Based on the growth and spread of the tumor in the body, staging is also done in 4 stages, Stage I up to Stage IV, ranging from localization of the cancer only till the pancreas to higher number showing spread of cancer to the lymph nodes or other organs of the body.
Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is not easy as physical signs and symptoms may not be evident in the early stages and when present, they are very obscure. Thus, awareness on the patient’s part is very important. Thus, if you have a family history of pancreatic cancer or have suspected signs and symptoms visit a doctor and voice your concerns. If the doctor suspects the occurrence of pancreatic cancer, you may be referred to an oncologist for further evaluation. Diagnosis can be made by:
The treatment options for pancreatic cancer are based on the type and stage of pancreatic cancer and other factors like overall health, age, and sensitivity to certain medications. Some of these options that may be used in combination include:
Surgery Depending on the extent of spread, surgery for pancreatic cancer may include the following:
Radiation therapy: Use of high-powered energy beams to destroy cancer cells.
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy (chemo) is a conservative therapy often used for the treatment of certain cancers. It makes use of anti-cancer drugs that are either injected into a vein or administered by mouth. The chemo drug reaches all areas of the body through the bloodstream. This treatment option is thus potentially useful for cancers that have spread to the other parts of the body from the origin.
Chemotherapy is used in some of the following circumstances of pancreatic cancer:
Chemoradiation or chemoradiotherapy: When chemo is administered along with radiation, it accentuates the effect of radiation. However, sometimes, there can also be more severe side effects.
Palliative care– Intended to improve the quality of life of cancer patients who may not be amenable to treatment.
Based on the stage the tumor doctors generally decide if tumor can be removed or not. While surgery may not be feasible in cases where the patient’s medical condition doesn’t warrant it, there are three possible options depending on the stage of the pancreatic cancer:
Pancreatic cancer is often fatal and it is ranked as fourth deadliest cancer in both men and women. Pancreatic cancer is treatable when diagnosed early and fatality rates are minimal. However, a vast majority of cases are diagnosed in later stages. pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose because of lack of reliable screening test and vague symptoms that are easily confused with other diseases making the diagnosis difficult and delayed.
The treatment of pancreatic cancer becomes difficult in advanced stages. Most of the cases are detected after the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Therefore, the chances of survival are very less. As per the national cancer database, 12.6 months is the overall median survival for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Based on the current treatment modalities, only 5 in 100 pancreatic patients survive for five years after diagnosis.
Knowledge of suffering from cancer can be distressing, frustrating and depressing. Therefore, few measure should be taken to improve the quality of life, such as:
While there are no known preventive measures for pancreatic cancer, individuals who have a known family history of the disease, can work on leading a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk. Some of these measures include:
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadly cancers, we still believe that there is always hope. Patients with pancreatic cancer can hope for a good quality of life with love and care from family and friends and quality treatment for good clinical response. Increasing evidence is suggestive of the fact that the most effective care for patients with pancreatic cancer can be provided with a multi-disciplinary team approach. Coordinated care from doctors of different specialties including general physician, oncologist, radiation oncologists, oncosurgeons, dieticians, gastroenterologists and pathologists can result in better outcomes for complex cancer treatment.
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