ALL ABOUT PANCREATIC CANCER The pancreas is a crucial gland located at the lower part of the stomach in the abdomen that is responsible for the secretion of enzymes, which helps in the digestive process. Usually beginning in the tissues and cells of the pancreas, pancreatic cancer is treatable in the early stages but gets very difficult in the advanced stages. However, it is rarely detected at the beginning because the symptoms at that time aren’t very prominent.
Causes of Pancreatic Cancer When the mutated cells in the pancreas get out of control and start forming a tumor, it paves the way for pancreatic cancer. The exact reason for this condition has not been determined yet. There are some of the risk factors that can help you understand better: • • •
Tobacco Obesity Age
Old age is a concerning factor for pancreatic cancer. In fact, 90% of the patients are above 55, and 70% have crossed 65 years.
Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer When cancer spreads to other parts of the body, the symptoms are: • • • • • •
Sharp abdominal pain Jaundice Loss of appetite and sudden weight loss Dark urine Itchy skin Blood clots
Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer 1. Surgery There are different types of surgical procedures like laparoscopy, distal pancreatectomy, whipple process, and total pancreatectomy. All these approaches are viable generally when cancer has just started spreading to other parts of the body, and only 20% of the total numbers of diagnosed cases are able to opt for this.