About Pancreatic Cancer

PANCREATIC CANCER: THE FACTS ABOUT THE DEADLY DISEASE

The pancreas is a gland situated behind the stomach, where the ribs meet at the bottom of the breastbone

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease.

Only 3 per cent of patients survive for five years, compared to 87 per cent for breast cancer and 98 per cent for testicular cancer.

The average survival time for untreated advanced pancreatic cancer is about 3.5 months; with good treatment this increases to around six months.

Men tend to be diagnosed more than women, and the disease is more common in people over 60, while rare in those under 40. Smokers and the overweight are most at risk of the disease.

The pancreas is a gland situated behind the stomach, where the ribs meet at the bottom of the breastbone.

It produces digestive enzymes that help to break down food and a hormone known as insulin to control blood sugar levels.

When pancreatic cancer is in its early stages it rarely has any symptoms. This means most patients are not aware they are unwell until the condition is advanced.

The symptoms are also similar to those of a variety of other conditions, so can be hard to diagnose.

The most common symptoms are:

• Pain in the upper abdomen which sometimes spreads to the back. It usually comes and goes at first but becomes constant as the cancer advances. The pain is often worse when eating or lying down.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Jaundice - yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, dark yellow urine, pale stools and itchy skin.
• Diabetes - this causes excessive thirst, passing more urine than usual and weakness.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Fever and shivering.

Surgery to remove the tumour is usually the only way to completely cure pancreatic cancer, but this is a suitable treatment for only around 15 to 20 per cent of patients.

source:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3400946/Alan-Rickman-died-pancreatic-cancer-say-sources.html