Breast Cancer Chemotherapy | Pancreatic Cancer – A silent Assassin

Pancreatic has created a serious havoc in the recent past. It claimed the lives of nearly 10,000 American’s last year. So researchers are seriously trying to put a full stop to this. A committee was recently set up to diagnose the cause and effects of pancreatic cancer by the World Health Organization.

The pancreas is a gland which is about 6 inches and looks more like a thin pear lying on its side. The wider end of the pancreas is called the head, the middle part is called the body, and the narrow end is called the tail. The pancreas lies behind the stomach and in front of the spine. A cancer affecting the pancreas is called pancreatic cancer.

A recent study illustrated the fact that patients who underwent surgical removal of the pancreas through radiation therapy and chemotherapy afterwards showed better results .The chances of survival was better especially with chemotherapy.

Treating a person using radiation treatment followed by chemotherapy is called adjuvant treatment. Investigations revealed that 472 people have had complete removal of pancreas last year. People whose cancer spread beyond the pancreas are excluded from this study.

An important aspect about pancreatic cancer is that all the affected victims are over 55 years of age. Men are prone to this more than women.

African Americans are more likely to have this when compared to the whites. Smoking poses a great trouble and seriously affects the pancreas. Eating too much of meat may also affect the pancreas very badly. Overweight people are more prone to this type of cancer. This can make an easy entry into people with diabetes. Some chemicals such as certain bug sprays, dyes, or gasoline products may raise the risk of this cancer.It may also run into your next generation.

Some of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer are:

Pain in the belly is the most significant symptom of this type of cancer. Loss of apatite may also be a common problem with people suffering from pancreatic cancer. If the cancer blocks the release of the pancreatic juice into the intestine, problems such as trouble breaking down fat can result. Stools might be pale, bulky, greasy, and float in the toilet. Other problems may include nausea, vomiting, and pain that tend to be worse after eating. Finally it may lead to the enlargement of gall bladder. Early diagnosis is always helpful when coming to pancreatic cancer.