The Pancreatic Cancer is a malignant tumour lying within the pancretic gland. Stated simply, the development of the cancer is attributed to cancerous cells forming in the tissues of the pancreas. It is uncommon for patients of pancreatic cancer to survive five years after diagnosis and absolute remission cases are extremely rare. There are several types of Pancreatic Cancer. Almost 95% of all pancreatic tumors fall in adenocarcinomas category while the remaining 5% fall in the exocrine pancreas, acinar cell cancers and the pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors categories.
These above mentioned tumors have a completely different therapeutic and diagnositic profile. They generally have more favorable prognosis. One of the rarest types of pancreatic cancer is called islet cell cancer. It usually begins within the cells of the insulin and hormone producing pancreas. Every year, in United States alone, 33000 individuals are diagnosed with this condition. Among all cancers, Pancreatic Cancer has the highest fatility rate. This cancer is the fourth highest killer of men and women in the United States. Scientists are still researching exactly what causes pancreatic cancer.
From several researches, it has been found that smoking is one of the major risk factors causing pancreatic cancer. Some of the other risk factors or predisposing factors include Age, African Ethnicity, Male Gender, Obesity, Family History, Gingivitis Disease, Diabetes, Helicobacter pylori infection, Chronic Pancreatitis and exposure to dyes, pesticides or other chemicals. Pancreatic cancer is hard to diagnose mostly because the symptoms caused are usually varied or non-specific. If the common bile duct is blocked by the tumor, bile will stop passing through the digestive system.
The whites of the eyes and skin may even become yellow and the urine. This commonly known condition known as Jaundice is a strong indicator used to distinguish between Pancreatic Cancer from gallstones. Spontaneous blood clotting knows as Trousseau’s sign is also associated with pancreatic cancer. Another disease which has a significant association is Clinical depression. Pancreatic Cancer may also cause weakness, nausea, weight loss and loss of appetite. However, all these symptoms may have multiple causes hence the patient is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at a very advanced stage.
Ultra sound and Abdominal CT are used to identify the tumors. Another procedure used to establish diagnosis which helps in visualization and obtaining tissue is Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Pancreatic Cancer Treatment usually depends on the stage of the cancer. It is possible to get Cancer anywhere on the tail, body or head of the pancreas. However, the symptoms vary according to the location of the cancer on the pancreas. Almost 70-80% of Pancreatic Cancers are located in the head of the pancreas. The surgery depends completely on the site of the cancer.
The most commonly used surgical treatment for cancers which involves the head of the pancreas is the Whipple Procedure. The chemotherapeutic drugs used are erlotinib, gemcitabine and Fluorouracil. A new vaccine has been developed which has shown promising results on human patients suffering from Pancreatic Cancer. Pancreatic cancer can be prevented by avoiding risk factors especially smoking. A healthy weight, healthy diet, Vitamin D intake and exercising can drastically cut the risk of developing Pancreatic Cancer.
Reference
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