Main points of the article:
- Pancreatic cancer has almost no symptoms, and even when they erupt, they are not always recognized correctly. Therefore, pancreatic cancer is often fatal because it is discovered too late, when there are already metastases in the liver.
- Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the most serious diseases with a short life expectancy – up to five years of survival.
- Pancreatic cancer can be detected at an early stage using advanced tests such as MRI.
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Pancreatic cancer is a cancer that originates in the cells of the pancreas – an essential organ whose role is to secrete hormones to stabilize the blood sugar level as well as to release enzymes that help digest food. Due to the proximity of the organ to other organs – which makes it easy to create new metastases and difficult even during surgery, and the fact that it is difficult to detect in the early stages, the survival chances of pancreatic cancer patients are very low. In this article we will explain what are the early signs of pancreatic cancer, what are the chances of survival and how to treat.
Pancreatic cancer – symptoms
The symptoms of pancreatic cancer are similar to those of other diseases, some of which are common, such as diabetes, and among others include:
- Pain in the upper abdomen and back.
- Loss of appetite.
- diarrhea
- a feeling of swelling.
- Unplanned and unintentional weight loss.
- yellow skin
- yellow eyes
- Dark colored urine.
- Annoying itching of the skin.
- High blood sugar level.
- Blood clots.
- chronic fatigue.
- lack of energy
- high temperature
- Chills.
Pancreatic cancer – early signs
Many people who suffer from pancreatic cancer and are unaware of it describe back and upper abdominal pain, which worsens when lying down. They often appear more yellow because the tumor blocks the bile duct: the duct that carries bile salts into the small intestine (duodenum), and if it is blocked, bile salts reach the blood. Bile contains yellow pigment and therefore turns the skin yellow and also yellows the whites of the eyes. Bile salts are excreted in the urine and feces, so the urine is darker and the feces are lighter.
My eyes are yellow. A sign of a pancreas problem. Illustration: Shutterstock
In addition, the disease causes weight loss, tingling and itching, as well as diabetes, which produces a constant feeling of thirst and frequent urination. Sometimes, swelling and redness can be seen in the tumor area.
Pancreatic cancer at a young age
The onset of pancreatic cancer is rare before the age of 50. Cancer patients under this age are considered early pancreatic cancer patients. However, recently there has been a downward trend in the age of pancreatic cancer patients, among people less than 65 years old: 0.3% in men and 0.2% in women.
Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include: smoking, genetic mutations, overweight, high consumption of red meat, diabetes and people who have undergone gastric bypass surgery. The blood type is also significant – those with blood type A and-B were found to have a higher risk of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer with liver metastases
A cancerous tumor is a name for an abnormal group of cells that can spread to other organs in the body and form metastases, that is, additional small tumors. This, unlike a benign tumor, which cannot spread to distant organs in the body. In the process in which the metastasis is formed, cancer cells migrate from the primary cancer tumor through the blood vessels and the lymphatic system and from there spread to other organs. When they settle in the new organ, they multiply quickly and produce more damage.
Cancer metastases. Illustration: Shutterstock
Unfortunately, in many cases pancreatic cancer is diagnosed at a stage when the tumor has already metastasized to other organs. The liver is one of the most common organs to which cancer can spread, especially in tumors from the digestive system such as pancreatic cancer. In pancreatic cancer, 60% of patients will have metastases to the liver. Additional metastases are to the intestine and rectum, breast, lungs and more.
Why does pancreatic cancer metastasize to the liver?
The various organs are connected to the liver through veins, so that the liver is a kind of main gate for the circulatory system. Because of this, in a tumor state, the cancer cells can reach the liver through the bloodstream. In addition, around the liver there is a bacterial environment that encourages the establishment and growth of metastases.
Pancreatic cancer surgery
Pancreatic cancer surgery is considered a difficult operation, with the probability of severe surgical complications. There are two surgeries for pancreatic cancer: Curative surgery that aims to remove the tumor. The operation will succeed in curing the patient only in rare cases where the tumor can be removed in its entirety, when there are still no metastases. This is a very low percentage of patients whose disease was discovered even before they felt symptoms and whose entire tumor can indeed be removed. Surgery in case the tumor cannot be removed is done to treat complications that have developed in the area such as a blocked bile duct or intestine.
Pancreatic cancer – survival rates
Pancreatic cancer is almost always diagnosed at a stage where there is not much that can be done surgically, due to the fact that its symptoms erupt only in an advanced state. The prognosis for the chances of recovery is obviously better if the cancer has not yet metastasized and can be removed in its entirety.
Survival rates depend on several factors, and no doctor can really know how long a patient has left to live. The rough estimates speak of survival rates of between one and five years, but there are patients who live much longer than that.
There are three types of pancreatic cancer:
localized cancer – A tumor that has not spread beyond the pancreas. Survival rates: Almost 55 out of 100 people survive the cancer for a year or more after diagnosis.
regional cancer – The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes. Survival rates: More than 25 out of 100 people survive the cancer for three years or more after diagnosis.
distant cancer – The cancer has spread to another part of the body. Survival rates: About ten people out of 100 survive the cancer for a year or more after diagnosis.
Another figure is that due to late detection, only about ten patients out of 100 have resectable cancer, which means they can undergo surgery to remove pancreatic cancer and increase their chances of survival for longer years.
Early detection of pancreatic cancer
Today, early screening for pancreatic cancer is performed mainly in people who are at high risk, for example when there is a family history or when symptoms appear. To locate the disease, tests such as endoscopic ultrasound or MRI are used. Early detection of pancreatic cancer allows more treatment options, so it is important to always be monitored and pay attention to any new problem or symptom that did not appear before.
Pancreatic cancer – life expectancy
Patients diagnosed before the tumor has spread massively will survive an average of 3 to 3.5 years. Patients diagnosed with metastases are likely to survive less. Today, new experiments and research are being carried out and new and better drugs are being issued, so the data is not absolute.
Pancreatic cancer – chances of recovery
About 95% of people with pancreatic cancer will die, unfortunately, but 5% of patients will make a full recovery. This of course depends on various factors such as age, the time of diagnosis, the extent of the disease and more.
Questions and Answers:
How do you check if you have pancreatic cancer?
The tests performed to detect pancreatic cancer are: blood test, ultrasound scan, CT scan, PET scan or MRI scan and biopsy of the pancreatic cells, as well as laparoscopy.
How do you know if there is a problem with the pancreas?
The most common symptoms that signal that there may be a problem are upper abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark colored urine, itching that does not go away and more. Accordingly, as the disease progresses, patients may develop malnutrition, weight loss and even diabetes.
Is it possible to live without a pancreas?
It is possible to live without a pancreas thanks to new and groundbreaking drugs that mimic the activity of the pancreas in the body and help the body control the sugar level and digest the food.
How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?
Following a specific combination of symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, and imaging and biopsy tests.