Pancreatic cancer is a disheartening cancer in that it tends to attack your pancreas silently and spreads swiftly. Coupled with a low survival rate when it’s not discovered early.
Unfortunately, cancer in the pancreas is not conducive to early diagnosis because it typically causes no or only vague symptoms.
The role your pancreas plays in the scheme of your healthy life is all about production. It produces juices to help break down what you ate and hormones to help control blood sugar levels. It’s not a gland you can live without.
Cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown. However, these risk factors have been identified:
- smoking
- diabetes mellitus
- chronic pancreatitis
- peptic ulcer surgery
- excessive alcohol consumption
- family history ~ pancreatic, colon, ovarian cancer
- high dietary consumption of meats, fried foods & nitrosamines
Chance seems to play a huge role in the development of cancer of the pancreas.
Once pancreatic cancer symptoms do present, they may be hardly noticeable. Some of its warning signs you may experience include:
- fatigue
- diarrhea
- jaundice
- itchiness
- weakness
- weight loss
- abdominal pain
- loss of appetite
- upper back pain
- nausea/vomiting
- dark yellow urine
- fatty floating stools
Presently, there is no reliable early detection screening test for pancreatic cancer. Although, recent discoveries may change this situation shortly.
Preferred treatment for pancreatic cancer is surgical removal of your cancerous tumor. Radiation, chemotherapy, biological therapy and clinical trials participation are other forms of treatment.
If you are experiencing unplanned weight loss, jaundice, abdominal pain and fatigue, then do not hesitate to pay your doctor a visit. Your future health may depend on an early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, if that is your case.