Pancreatic cancer - causes, symptoms and treatment

Pancreatic cancer is a relatively rare disease, about 3 in 100 cases of all cancers in the United States. However, the disease, the impact is mainly due to people over 50, increasingly common in the U.S. because life expectancy is rising. Pancreatic cancer occurs almost twice as common among men as among women and the disease is slightly more common in African-Americans and Polynesians. People with pancreatic cancer usually have few symptoms until theDisease reaches an advanced stage and often not until it has spread to other parts of the body, usually the lymph nodes in the abdomen and liver. The disease is almost always fatal and is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S.. Little is known about the causes of pancreatic cancer, but it was associated with a diet, especially with fatty foods and high alcohol consumption. An increased incidence of cancer in certain ethnic groupsindicates that genetic factors may be involved. The risk of disease is greater in people who smoke and in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

The pancreas is an organ in endocrine functions, such as the secretion of insulin and exocrine functions, such as involved in the secretion of insulin and exocrine functions, such as the secretion of enzymes involved in digestion. It is located below the stomach and the liver, adjacent to the duodenum (the first section is the smallIntestine).

Causes: The cause of this cancer is unknown. The most established risk factor for the development of this cancer is cigarette smoking. Other less common risk factors:

• A high-fat diet

• Diabetes

• Chronic pancreatitis, usually associated with high alcohol consumption

• The workers in contact with organic chemicals

Symptoms: When the cancer develops in the head of the pancreas, which is in a confined spaceDuodenum, the patients suffer from jaundice and generalized itching. If on the other side of the tumor arises in the area of the tail of the pancreas, is the farthest from the duodenum, the tumor can grow to larger sizes before causing symptoms. This condition can lead to the obstruction of bile excreted, the development of

• Jaundice

• Pale-colored stools

• itching

• Abdominal pain

• Weight Loss

• APalpable mass.

Many patients with pancreatic cancer also have symptoms of cancer that has spread to other organs.

Diagnosis: Cancer of the pancreas can be easily seen with computed tomography or ultrasound of the abdomen to. The diagnosis must be confirmed by obtaining a biopsy.

Complications: Complications resulting from the spread (metastasis) of cancer to other organs or of the physical size of the tumor causing obstruction of theBile duct or other internal structures.

Treatment:

Self treatment: A general healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet is important to preserve the general health during the treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Medical Treatment: Although treatment with chemotherapy has not been very encouraging, promising new chemotherapeutic agents are always investigated. Combinations of treatment with chemotherapy and radiation can help control symptoms, in some casescancer at an advanced stage. Surgical treatment: removal of the tumor is the only chance of cure for this type of cancer. Unfortunately, only about 15 percent of patients whose tumors are completely removed. The rest of the patients have cancers that are grown too large to remove completely.

Prevention: the only established risk for the development of pancreatic cancer is cigarette smoking. Smoking cessation should therefore lead to a reduced chancethe development of this type of cancer.

culinary institute