Pancreatic Cancer
• Definition
· Pancreatic Cancer is the disease of uncontrolled, cancerous growth of certain cells of the pancreas.
• Overview
· Pancreatic Cancer affects about 37,000 people in the United States every year.
· Pancreatic Cancer is a very aggressive form of cancer and only 5% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are alive at 5 years.
· Up to 10% of patients with pancreatic cancer have had a family member diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
Risk factors that are associated with the development of pancreatic cancer include:
· age greater than 50 years
· family history of pancreatic cancer
· obesity
· tobacco use
· heavy alcohol use
· previous of pancreatitis
· previous of abdominal radiation
· Pancreatic Cancer is usually diagnosed with an ultrasound of the abdomen or a CT scan (CAT scan) of the abdomen.
The blood test CA 19-9 will be positive in up to 90% of cases of pancreatic cancer but may not be positive early in the disease.
Up to 15% of cysts found in the pancreas are cancer.
• Types
· Ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common form of pancreatic cancer making up almost 90% of cases
· Ducal adenocarcinoma is usually an aggressive form of cancer and typically has metastatic spread by the time of diagnosis
· Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas account for up to 5% of cases
• Symptoms
Pancreatic cancer symptoms:
· Abdominal pain is the most common physical complaint of pancreatic cancer. Patients with pancreatic cancer will most commonly complain of a vague discomfort in the upper abdomen or the upper left side of the abdomen. Abdominal pain may radiate to the back. Occasionally the pain is worse while lying down flat.
· Diarrhea is the second most common physical complaint of pancreatic cancer.
· Unexplained weight loss is another sign of pancreatic cancer.
· Jaundice (yellow skin) is a finding in late pancreatic cancer
• Treatment
· Pancreatic Cancer can be cured with surgery if it is caught very early.
· Pancreatic Cancer is usually found late and is typically treated with chemotherapy and surgery and cure rates are typically very poor.
· Neuroendocrine tumors are a special form of pancreatic cancer that has a much higher cure rate with surgery and account for up to 5% of cases of pancreatic cancer.
References
Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc; 2006:741-742.
Biology and management of pancreatic cancer. Gut. 2007 Aug;56(8):1134-52. [PMID: 17625148]
Risk factors for pancreatic cancer: case-control study. Am J Gastroenterol. 2007 Dec;102(12):2696-707. [PMID: 17764494]
Posted on September 24, 2008
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