Your pancreas sits behind the lower part of your stomach. It releases enzymes that assist with digestion and the hormone insulin to help your body process blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer doesn’t normally produce any symptoms in the early stages, which means it can be difficult to diagnose until it is more advanced when there is a risk that it has spread to nearby organs. If you have a family history of pancreatic cancer or pancreatic cysts you will normally be offered screening to pick up any problems in the early stages.
Consultation with a specialist and diagnosis is the first step to feeling better
There are different types of pancreatic cancer. Some arise from the exocrine cells such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma and others are from the endocrine cells called neuroendocrine tumours.
The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is not known however there are some risk factors that have been identified, these include:
Other possible risks include increased alcohol consumption, diet containing processed meat. There are also genetic mutations that can be inherited.
Pancreatic cancer shares many symptoms with other, less serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, hepatitis, gallstones and pancreatitis.
For this reason, it is important to see your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms listed below. Most times they won’t be caused by pancreatic cancer:
Tests to diagnose pancreatic cancer include:
Blood test to check for proteins that indicate the presence of cancer cells.
Imaging including CT, MRI and PET scans.
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to obtain detailed images of your pancreas from inside your abdomen. This test can also allow direct sampling of the pancreatic tissue in the form of a biopsy.
The treatment you are offered will depend on the location of the cancer and what stage it is at.
Radiation therapy, which uses radiation to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy, which uses drugs to kill cancer cells. These can be injected or taken orally. Chemotherapy may be combined with radiation therapy.
Surgery including:
Patients with pancreatic cancer can become jaundiced when the bile duct becomes blocked. In this case, an ERCP can be performed and a stent placed to alleviate jaundice and its associated symptoms.
If you have advanced pancreatic cancer, you will have involvement from the palliative care team, who focus on pain relief and managing symptoms to help you to feel better and live well for as long as possible. There are clinical trials underway currently to advance the treatment of pancreatic cancer including the endoscopic injection or radioactive treatment (Oncosil trial) and you may wish to consider this.
IBS – Managing your Symptoms Irritable bowel syndrome more commonly called IBS can have a huge impact on your life. People with IBS can experience abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, cramps, gas, and diarrhoea and IBS outbreaks can leave you feeling miserable. These symptoms can anything from a few days to weeks. Whilst there is no…
DetailsTurkey with all the trimmings, roast potatoes, Christmas pudding, brandy butter, a glass or two of Chardonnay…yum! This festive period is much awaited! However, do you know it can have a negative effect too? Eating and drinking everything in an uncontrollable amount can leave us reaching for the antacid faster than you can realise! Then,…
DetailsDecemBEARD is a campaign from Beating Bowel Cancer. This campaign shows support for people with this disease by raising awareness of the disease and hence saving lives. Therefore, throughout December men everywhere have been growing beards in support of the campaign and collecting sponsorship to help beat the disease. What is DecemBEARD? It’s not just…
Details
