Pancreatic Cancer

The pancreas is found deep in the abdomen, behind the stomach. It is shaped like a flattened pear or a fish, wide at one end and narrow at the other. The 6 inch long organ does two jobs. It creates pancreatic juices that help with the digestion of fats and proteins and produces hormones such as insulin (Read about "Digestive System" "Endocrine System"), that help control the sugar levels in our bodies. The location of the pancreas makes early detection of cancer difficult if not impossible. Right now, ACS says there are no blood tests or other tests to discover pancreatic cancer. It is one of the reasons for the low survival rate. Most times when the cancer is found, it has already spread to other parts of the body according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Risk factors

The risk factors for pancreatic cancer mirror many of the risk factors for other cancers. NCI and ACS list the following risk factors:

• Age - pancreatic cancer rarely is seen before the age of 40. The average age of discovery is 70.
• Sex - men are twice as likely to get pancreatic cancer as women.
• Race - African Americans are more likely than their white or Asian American contemporaries (Read about "Minority Health")
• Smoking - three of ten people with pancreatic cancer are smokers. Smokers are 2 to 3 times more likely to get it. (Read about "Quit Smoking")
• Diet - people with high fat diets that are low in fruit and vegetables have a higher risk. (Read about "Low Fat Food Tips")
• Diabetes - doubles the risk of getting pancreatic cancer.

NCI says there is also some evidence that exposure to some chemicals on the job can increase your risk.

Symptoms

NCI says that many times symptoms are vague and are ignored, a reason to be vigilant and talk with your doctor. NCI and ACS list the following as symptoms of pancreatic cancer:

• jaundice, which is a yellowing of the skin and the eyes. It can also be a sign of many other diseases and should be checked by a doctor (Read about "Jaundice")
• pain in the stomach area or the middle of the upper back
• weight loss
• nausea
• loss of appetite
• general weakness or tiredness

Other conditions that are red flags for possible pancreatic cancer include a swollen gallbladder and the onset of diabetes. (Read about "Diabetes")

If pancreatic cancer is suspected, the doctor can order visual scanning tests such as CT scans (Read about "CT Scan - Computerized Tomography"), but ACS says the only way to be sure is to conduct a biopsy (Read about "Biopsy") and obtain a small sample of the pancreas to look at under a microscope.

Treatments

Once cancer of the pancreas is found, more tests will be done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. The doctor needs to know the stage of the disease to plan treatment. The following stages are used for cancer of the pancreas, according to NCI:

• Stage I

  In stage I, cancer is found in the pancreas only.

• Stage II

  In stage II, cancer has spread to nearby tissue and organs, such as bile ducts or the small intestine.

• Stage III

  In stage III, cancer has spread to lymph nodes (Read about "The Lymph System") near the pancreas and may have spread to nearby tissue and organs, such as bile ducts or the small intestine.

• Stage IV

  In stage IV, cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Stage IV is divided into stage IVA and stage IVB, depending on where the cancer has spread.

  • Stage IVA: Cancer has spread to organs and tissues that are near the pancreas (such as the stomach, spleen, or colon), but has not spread to distant organs (such as the lungs). The cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the pancreas.
  • Stage IVB: Cancer has spread to distant organs (such as the lungs). It may have also spread to organs and tissues near the pancreas or to lymph nodes.

Most treatments for pancreatic cancer are aimed at controlling the symptoms and prolonging and improving the quality of the patient's life, according to NCI.

Surgery can be used to remove all or part of the pancreas. The extent of surgery depends on the location and size of the tumor, the stage of the disease, and the patient's general health. Sometimes the cancer cannot be completely removed. But if the tumor is blocking the common bile duct or duodenum, the surgeon can create a bypass. A bypass allows fluids to flow through the digestive tract. It can help relieve jaundice and pain resulting from a blockage.

In addition to surgery, other options - radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy - can be used. (Read about chemotherapy, radiation and other cancer therapies in "Cancer Treatments") Treatment options will depend on how far the cancer has progressed and if the cancer has spread to other organs. Unfortunately most of the time, by the time pancreatic cancer is discovered, it has spread.

More Cancer Information:

    Cancer Check-ups

    Cancer Support

    Cancer Treatments

    Reduce Cancer Risks

    Cancer Glossary

For a list of individual types of cancer, see Cancer: What It Is

Related Information:

    Pancreatitis

    Digestive System