Cancer is one of the most fearsome diseases known globally. It may happen to anyone, at any time of their lives, sometimes regardless of how they take care of themselves. It is an unforgiving condition that demands a lot from the patient.
Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the pancreas, a gland hidden deep within the stomach. This is a trickier type of cancer because it will be harder to detect by health professionals, making treatment harder to administer, sometimes starting at a stage where cancer becomes more fatal.
However, looking out for the signs and symptoms is key to getting treatment as early as possible. Here is a list of signs and symptoms you need to watch out for:
Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer
- Jaundice
- Lighter stools.
- Darker urine.
- Pain in the abdomen and back.
- Sudden weight loss.
- Fatigue.
- Itchy skin.
- Nausea.
Cause of Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is tricky, besides being harder to detect because professionals can not grasp why it occurs. However, pancreatic cancer new treatment have found some risk factors that are correlated to pancreatic cancer patients. Some of these are:
- Tobacco use and excessive smoking.
- Excessive alcohol abuse.
- Obesity
- An unhealthy diet is composed of sugars, preservatives, and high cholesterol food.
- Harmful work environments where there is exposure to chemicals.
- Old age.
Best Pancreatic Cancer Treatments
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy administers different drugs that combat the cancer cells inside the body. Chemotherapy can also mean therapy that involves radiation, which treats cancer while it has not spread to other parts of the body. This is because radiation works with trying to shrink the tumor, and this treatment is still recommended in the instance that the cancer is eradicated so that it has little chance of recurring.
Surgery
Traditionally, a surgical convention is a straightforward, brutal, but effective way of removing diseases and other nuisances in the body. With cancer, it isn’t different, and manually removing the tumor or the infected area, as well as removing healthy tissue surrounding that area to ensure all of the cancer is removed, is still a very practical way of dealing with this disease.
Operations used on individuals with pancreatic cancer cover:
- Surgery for tumors in the pancreatic head.
The pancreas has a part called the head, located at the juncture where the stomach hits a part of the small intestine. If cancer first sprouts from this area, then something a pancreaticoduodenectomy might be put in place.
This procedure entails removing the head from the pancreas, a part of the small intestine, the gallbladder, and as well as nearby ducts. If the cancer is already larger than initially thought, the colon and stomach parts will also be removed. Afterward, reconnecting the remaining organs will be sought so that digestion would not be as difficult.
- Surgery for tumors contained in the pancreatic body and tail.
The pancreas also has a part called the body and the tail. The procedure to remove this part, if the cancer is located there, is called pancreatectomy. This procedure also means the removal of the spleen.
- Surgery to remove the entire pancreas.
In severe cases, the entirety of the pancreas can be removed. In a procedure called total pancreatectomy, normal, functioning life is still possible given that insulin and enzyme treatment is carefully put in place afterward.
- Surgery for tumors affecting nearby blood vessels.
In most cases, simply removing parts of the pancreas may not be sufficient to stop cancer, as that cancer may have already spread to nearby blood vessels. The removal of these blood vessels and their reconstruction afterward is also a common procedure amongst pancreatic cancer patients.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy entails the use of energy beams to target those cancer cells and kill them. It is often used in partnership with chemotherapy and is also administered before or after surgeries. However, this is mostly used when surgical intervention seems risky and is not recommended by the professional handling.
Takeaway (Conclusion/Learnings)
If you are battling pancreatic cancer right now, don’t give up! New treatments are being done every year, and it’s not impossible to think that we may be close to a cure. Get support from family and friends, and always remember to develop a positive outlook in life.
Pancreatic cancer is just one of many cancers, and despite its trickier nature, the treatment and remedy are more or less the same as other subtypes of cancer. The key to beating this disease has always been awareness and belief; knowing what is wrong with your body and getting it checked up immediately might mean the difference between life and death. Moreover, the best treatment happens way before the actual diagnosis. Do things that fight cancer rather than contribute to the risk.