Facts About Pancreatic Cancer

Posted by Hollie Williams on June 18th, 2018

Pancreatic cancer has no symptoms in the early stages. The tumor, no matter where it is in the pancreas, is the same. The symptoms vary, and so do the outcomes. As pancreatic cancer progresses, vague symptoms like pain in the abdomen after eating and weight loss start to show. A CAT scan is the only test used to determine if it has spread and if it’s removable.

Here are the facts about pancreatic cancer;

•    Although pancreatic cancer is diagnosed late and is typically aggressive, surgeons work to give patients hope and a possible cure. Intensive programs of high volume pancreatic surgery have been developed to treat patients.

•    The location of the tumor determines how the operation is done. If the tumor is on the left side of the pancreas, the portion of the pancreas is removed along with the spleen. It’s more complicated when the tumor is to the right of the pancreas because about a third of the pancreas, a small portion of the stomach, the gallbladder, the bile duct, and a foot of the intestine are all removed in what is called the Whipple operation.

•    Even with the complexity of the operations of pancreatic cancer, patients can get back to their normal lives. The procedure gives hope and cure to all patients with pancreatic cancer.

Research has shown that 30% of pancreatic cancer cases are linked to smoking, and 10% are hereditary. The other risk factors are diabetes, obesity, diet, physical activity, chronic and genetic pancreatitis. The risk is higher (50 – 90%) among individuals of African American descent. The standard treatment for pancreatic cancer includes radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of both. The other methods of treatment for this disease include biological therapies, complementary therapies, alternative therapies and clinical trials.

About Author

The Sandler-Kenner Foundation was started by Gregory A. Echt, M.D. and his wife, Susan T. Echt, after they lost two of their dear friends, Michael and Peter, to premature deaths from pancreatic cancer.