What you should know about pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer the most deadly type of any common cancer. It is hard to catch early. In the U.S. in 2015, it is estimated that about 48,960 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and about 40,560 people will die of pancreatic cancer. The disease accounts for about 3 percent of all cancer cases, and about 7 percent of cancer deaths. The average lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer is about 1 in 67.

Pancreatic cancer is not easily treatable, even when diagnosed early. This type of cancer spreads very quickly and is tough to detect early on, making it a leading cause of cancer death. In addition, the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer do not often arise until the disease is in an advanced stage when treatment options are limited.

Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer don’t often occur until the disease is in an advanced stage. When they do appear, they may include upper abdominal pain that is new, significant, and chronic (may be relieved by leaning forward), back pain, jaundice (yellowing of your skin/eyes, dark urine), loss of appetite, unexplained, significant weight loss, nausea and vomiting, faint indigestion, new onset of diabetes, fatigue, or blood clots.

There are two types of pancreatic cancer: Exocrine tumors and endocrine tumors. Exocrine tumors are the most common type and make up about 90 percent of pancreatic cancers. Endocrine tumors are much less common and make up about 2 to 5 percent of pancreatic cancers.

Risk factors that may increase a person’s risk for developing pancreatic cancer include:

·         Family history of pancreatic cancer.

·         Being overweight or obese

·         Age. Risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age.

·         Being African-American.

·         Diabetes. May increase risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

·         Smoking. Research shows smoking increases your risk for developing pancreatic cancer.

·         Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Long-term inflammation of the pancreas has been linked to pancreatic cancer.

Deciding which treatment option is best can be a difficult decision. It’s important to discuss these options with your doctor to discuss the pros, cons, potential risks, and side effects of each option. Ultimately, the most important factors when deciding on a treatment plan include whether the cancer can be surgically removed and the state of your overall health. The most common options for treatment include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, chemoradiation therapy, and targeted therapy.

Treatment options include surgery to completely remove the tumor. If cancer has not spread beyond pancreas, you may have a whipple procedure, total pancreatectomy, or distal pancreatectomy. If cancer has spread beyond pancreas, a surgical biliary bypass, endoscopic stent placement, or gastric bypass may be done to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

Other treatment options include:

·         Radiation therapy: uses radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing.

·         Chemotherapy: uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells by killing them.

·         Chemoradiation therapy: combines chemo and radiation therapy to increase effectiveness of both.

·         Targeted therapy: uses drugs or other substances to target and attack cancer cells without harming healthy cells.