What make pancreatic cancer so different from other cancers?

3 Comments

1. darcymc says:

   July 2, 2009 at 6:17 am

   because by the time its detected its well advance
   as with all cancers the sooner you find it the better your chances are
   pancreatic cancer does not give early warning signs so by the time you get to feeling bad its usually to late
2. queenE says:

   July 4, 2009 at 10:05 pm

   basically because it is diagnosed too late.people can live normally with it until pain starts deep in the belly or mid-back or until they collapse or feel like bad flu.some just feel tired. also the pancreas is only a tiny gland about 6 inches long compared to other organs.then it is located in such an awkward position in the body.it’s difficult to operate.pancreatic cancer easily spreads to other body tissues. that’s why it’s the toughest cancer to have.in the united states about 40,000 will be diagnosed of that 34.000 will die.even when diagnosed there is still only a 5 year survival rate.many medical associations say it is 99% fatal.this gland breaks down fats and proteins.it regulates sugar in the blood.more diabetics are likely to have it. people in countries that eat onions and apples have a lower rate of this cancer……….lastly and most important there is no money for research.that’s why is the deadliest cancer.when my patients had this cancer i cringed,because we usually knew the sad ending.so we gave them the specail royal treatment.
3. B says:

   July 5, 2009 at 12:15 am

   Pancreatic cancer can be treated for cure under very specific conditions. It spreads by local invasion and via lymphatic channels. If it is caught early prior to invasion in the local vasculature, it can be treated for cure via several procedures – Whipple (pancreaticoduodenectomy), Total Pancreatectomy, or Distal Pancreatectomy. A major issue is catching it early. The symptoms of this disease early on are usually no symptoms, vague abdominal pain, mild discomfort. It is hard to detect. There is also no good screening that is cost effective. The reason for this is the cancer is not that common, and the tests available are not that cheap. This makes for a very inefficient screening method. The ones out there currently that can detect pancreatic cancer include CT scan of the abdomen and Endoscopic Ultrasound. Both of these tests have their own drawbacks. CT scan of the abdomen involves radiation that may set you up for a cancer. Endoscopic ultrasound requires sedation, a specialist (gastroenterologist), and has risks of perforation. Also the tests need to have a high degree of sensitivity (meaning that there is a high number of people who have the disease also test positive). Endoscopic ultrasound is being used more for symptomatic pancreatic cancer, but I do not know of studies used for screening the general population.

   Another issue is it’s proximity to other organs. It is near the duodenum, stomach, inferior vena cava, aorta. It is also a part of the biliary system and liver. It can spread to many important organs easily.

   There is some increased hope on the horizon as new chemotherapy drugs are being developed. Dr. Vickers at the University of Minnesota is doing clinical trials on a new medication that will hopefully help with treating the disease.