Pancreatic Cancer: The Real Facts

Posted by Hollie Williams on May 10th, 2018

Pancreatic cancer has no symptom in its early stages. The tumor remains the same no matter where it is placed in the pancreas. Symptoms vary, and because of this, the outcomes vary too. As pancreatic cancer progresses, the patient may experience loss of weight and pain in the abdomen after eating. When there’s suspicion, a CAT scan is used to determine the stage and progression of the tumor and whether it is removable or not. Although pancreatic cancer is aggressive and diagnosed late, surgeons focus on offering patients a possible cure and hope.

Here's what pancreatic cancer is about:

•    Pancreatic cancer symptoms are vague and may include digestive issues, abdominal pain or unexplained weight loss. What mostly triggers a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is jaundice.

•    Research indicates that 30% of cases of pancreatic cancer are linked to smoking while 10% are hereditary. There’s also a high risk of 50-90% among African Americans. Other risk factors include chronic and hereditary pancreatitis, diabetes, diet and physical activity and obesity.

•    Standard treatment for pancreatic cancer includes chemotherapy and/or radiation. Some patients may undergo surgery called the Whipple procedure. Biological therapies and/or alternative therapies and complementary therapies are other treatment methods. Clinical trials are also available.

The placement of the tumor in the pancreas will determine how the surgery will be done. If it is on the right of the pancreas, it is complicated because some parts of the pancreas, the intestine, the stomach, bile duct, and gallbladder have to be removed. However, with the left side, only the portion of the pancreas and the spleen are removed.

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.