Pancreatic Cancer or Pancreas Cancer

The abnormal growth of cells forming malignancy in the pancreas leads to pancreatic cancer or the pancreas cancer. This cancer is also referred as the cancer of the pancreas. This disease does not show any symptoms in its early stages the signs or symptoms shown in the later stage resemble much with the jaundice.

This behavior is because the tumor blocks the bile duct and thus the bile cannot pass into the digestive system, also the bile pigment called bilirubin gets accumulated in the urine.

Causes of Pancreatic Cancer or Pancreas Cancer

Though the actual causes of this disease are unknown till date many risk factors are proved to increase the chances of developing the disease. Some of them are the increasing age, smoking and consumption of non vegetarian or fatty food in large quantities, certain medical and environmental factors. In few cases the genetic disposition is also found to be the chance of developing the disease.

Pancreatic Cancer or Pancreas Cancer Symptoms

Generally the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer or pancreas cancer is usually delayed because symptoms are nonspecific. In majority of the cases jaundice is present during the diagnosis. Other pancreatic cancer or pancreas cancer symptoms or sign of pancreas cancer include weight loss, fatigue, and discomfort in the abdomen, loss of appetite and glucose intolerance.

In addition, the patient may experience pain in the abdomen and back. The pancreas may produce too much insulin, causing such symptoms as dizziness, weakness, diarrhea, chills, or muscle spasms.

Pancreatic Cancer or Pancreas Cancer Treatment

The most common methods of pancreatic cancer or pancreas cancer treatment are the surgery, radiation therapy and the chemotherapy. Apart from these standard methods of treatment the immunotherapy is also used for better results.

Surgery is the best treatment for stage I patients. This involves the removal of part of the pancreas or the extensive surgery may be performed to remove the entire pancreas along with other organs in advanced cases.

Sometimes a combination of therapies, such as radiation and chemotherapy given before or after surgery, can increase a patient’s chances of survival. Immunotherapy involves using drugs to boost the body’s natural immune response to fight against the disease.

Pancreatic Cancer or Pancreas Cancer Prognosis and Survival Rate

Pancreatic cancer or pancreas cancer prognosis differs from patient to patient. This is because the in some patients the resection may be possible and in some it may not. This means that the stage of the cancer is a must to predict the prognosis. Irrespective of this cure rates are significantly less than 50%.

Most commonly chemotherapy and radiation are often given after surgery to attempt to increase the cure rate. In patients where surgery can remove the tumors the cure rate is good but in patients where surgery is not possible cure is not possible.

Pancreatic cancer or pancreas cancer is rarely curable. The overall pancreatic cancer or the pancreas cancer survival rate is less than 4%. Generally the survival rates are high if the tumor is small but this is anyways less than 25%.

This localized stage of pancreatic cancer or pancreas cancer is less common. For advanced stage patients the survival rate is still less almost 1%.