Cancer of the Pancreas

The pancreas is a large pear-shaped vital organ lying on its side which is found behind the lower portion of the stomach, and it is part of the digestive system. Besides being an organ, the pancreas is also a dual gland. On the one hand, the pancreas is an endocrine gland as it produces essential hormones such as insulin, glucagon and somatostatin which regulate the metabolism of sugars. On the other hand, the pancreas is an exocrine gland because it secretes pancreatic juices that are comprised of a large variety of digestive enzymes such as trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, elastase, carboxypeptidase, pancreatic lipase, and amylase which are ultimately transported to the small intestine for facilitating the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Defining Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor that originates in the tissues of the pancreas and it has the tendency to develop and spread very quickly. Due to its aggressive nature, pancreatic cancer is rarely identified in its early stages and its prognosis, therefore, is generally poor. Statistics show that approximately 38,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year in the United States and roughly 60,000 more in Europe. Of those staggering numbers, more than 95 percent never live to five years after diagnosis, and total remission is virtually unheard of.

Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

The earliest stages of pancreatic cancer do not often display symptoms of any kind and the symptoms of its later stages are very generic and nondescript. The more specific symptoms appear only in the advanced stages of the disease and that is why pancreatic cancer is at times called the “silent killer.” The most frequently noted symptoms of pancreatic cancer include upper abdominal pain that spreads to the back and is reduced by bending over; digestive disturbances such as nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite; radical and rapid loss of weight; jaundiced skin and bodily excretions (urine and fecal matter); inexplicable blood clotting in the portal blood vessels; and clinical depression.

Causes and Risks of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer develops when cells in the pancreas become genetically mutated and grow excessively, multiply rapidly and have extended life spans as they continue to thrive long after normal cells have perished. The direct causes of such developments are not understood but research points to a number of factors which they believe to be serious contributors and those are tobacco smoking; being obesity or overweight; having chronic inflammations of the pancreas (pancreatitis); having family history of pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis or genetic syndromes such as BRCA2 gene mutation, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Lynch syndrome and familial atypical mole-malignant melanoma (FAMMM); abusing alcohol; suffering recurrent gingivitis or periodontal disease; having diabetes mellitus; ingesting too much red meat and not enough fruits and vegetables; being of advanced age as most patients who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are over six years old; and being a black man as more black men develop pancreatic cancer than whites men and more men than women in general.

Treating Pancreatic Cancer

How pancreatic cancer is treated depends on the patient’s age and overall health, on the stage of the disease and its location in the organ and, of course, on the patient’s personal preference. If the cancer is not too far advances, the first objective is to completely eliminate it; and if it is too late for elimination then stopping its further development and spreading is the second objective. If both objectives are ruled out, the patient is administered pain management treatments.

The following are the most common treatments prescribed to viable pancreatic cancer patients:

1. Surgery. As is true with most surgeries, these carry the risk of severe bleeding and infections, and their recovery time is quick long.

- When pancreatic cancer is localized in the head of the pancreas, the head of the pancreas along with the gall bladder and parts of the small intestine, the bile duct and the stomach are removed in a procedure call the Whipple or pancreatoduodenectomy.

- When pancreatic cancer is found in the tail and body of the pancreas; the tail, a portion of the body and the spleen are removed in a procedure called the pancreatectomy.

2. Radiation Therapy. Radiation therapy involves the administration of high-energy beams which are intended to eradicate the cancer cells. It may be prescribed before or after surgery and often in tandem with chemotherapy.

3. Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the use of powerful drugs which are meant to destroy diseased cancer cells.

4. Targeted Drug Therapy. The targeted drug therapy uses drugs that attack certain deviations of the cancer cells.

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