Join in the Fight Against All Cancer and Breast Cancer Awareness.

Pancreatic Cancer

Every year in the United States over 35,000 people will die of pancreatic cancer. Prognosis for patients is grim and mortality is quite high due to lack of symptoms in early stages. However, like many cancers, good nutrition and dietary habits may have a positive impact, and non-smokers may have much less risk of pancreatic cancer than smokers. African-Americans, males, and those over 60 years of age have a higher predisposition than others.

Symptoms

Although there are very few early signs of this cancer, awareness of these possibilities should guide the patient to seek medical diagnostics immediately.

Abdominal pain in the upper end that shoots to the back. If the patient leans forward, pain is relieved. This symptom is primarily for cancers at the head of the pancreas.
Appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, and/or anorexia.
Jaundice--this indicates that the bile duct is blocked by the cancer; manifests as yellow skin, dark urine, and pale stool.
Noticeable weight loss.

In addition, blood clots that form in surface veins in all locations, and/or the deep veins of the arms and legs, is often a sign of pancreatic cancer (also called Trousseau sign). Oddly, pre-diagnosis depression often manifests with this cancer as well.

Diagnosis

Liver function tests, tumor marker detection, and computerized tomography are all useful tests for this cancer. Endoscopic ultrasound is also a popular test, and can offer a guide for the needle biopsy, which is the final determining test for cancer.

Treatments

If the cancer is at the head of the pancreas, a surgery called the Whipple Procedure can be used. It is rarely performed because the cancer must be in early stages and not have spread. The patient must also be healthy enough to survive the surgery. If the cancer is in the middle or tail of the pancreas a distal pancreatectomy (where the spleen is preserved) can be performed but laparoscopic surgeries are often preferred. Surgery can also be used to reduce pressure on other organs for quality of life as the disease progresses.

Chemotherapy has been shown to extend the usual 5 year survival prognosis of pancreatic cancers, and radiation is also used in a small number of cases. Chemotherapy by itself can be used in place of surgery for more advanced stages, although it is merely for quality of life.

Like other cancers, preventing what you can is important. The American Cancer Society reports that between 20% and 30% of pancreatic cancer cases are caused by smoking--if you smoke, stop, and if you don’t smoke don’t pick up this deadly habit. Also, maintaining a healthy weight is important in prevention, as is eating high fiber and low fat foods, although this is not a proven method for prevention.

The new millennium has offered some other clues as well. Some recent studies have shown that vitamin D supplements reduced risk of cancer in general by almost 50%. Other studies included food-consumed vitamins B6 and B12, as well as folates, reduced pancreatic cancer risks (supplements did not work). However, one should always study supplements thoroughly and consult with a physician before embarking on any supplement program.