Pancreatic Cancer 101
October 29, 2010 – 10:48 amPancreatic cancer has an extremely poor prognosis, even when it is diagnosed early. The cancer typically has spread by the time diagnosis is made. In the majority of patients, the cancer is never detected early. The signs and symptoms of the pancreatic cancer do not appear until the cancer has advanced and surgery is not possible. The typical signs of this cancer include abdominal and back pain, weight loss, yellow discoloration of skin, and eyes, depression, new onset diabetes, and recurrent blood clots.
The treatment for pancreatic cancer depends on the stage. However, in many cases the patients are simply too ill to undergo surgery. The surgery for pancreatic cancer is demanding. Only a few centers in the world are accomplished at pancreatic surgery. The mortality of surgery at inexperienced centers is anywhere from 70-100 percent, whereas at top centers the mortality from surgery is less than 10 percent.
Surgery is only possible when the cancer is localized. When surgery is not possible, patients may undergo radiation or chemotherapy. However, pancreatic cancers are very resistant to both these therapies. Currently several clinical trials are looking at gene therapy. However, these studies are only experimental and there is no guarantee of a cure. A number of alternative treatments are available but most of these are frauds to prey on people who are desperate.
Because the cause of pancreatic cancer is not known, prevention is difficult.
Related Posts
Tags: pancreatic cancer
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.