The pancreas is an organ located in the abdomen. It has both exocrine and endocrine functions. However, the cells of the pancreas develop abnormally to form cancer cells. These cells can develop both from the exocrine and endocrine cells. Most cases of pancreatic cells are adenocarcinomas. The pancreatic cells have the ability to spread from their origin to other parts of the body. Some of the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer include the development of yellow skin, abdominal pain, weight loss, dark urine, and the loss of appetite. Although, the disease doesn’t usually manifest with any symptoms initially, however, there are some symptoms that are specific for the disease. Symptoms usually show at the advanced and late stage of the disease. At this stage, the disease would have spread to other parts of the body. This disease rarely occurs before the age of 40. It’s more prevalent in people that are above 70. Some of the risk factors for pancreatic cancer smoking, overweight, and obesity. This prognosis of this disease is good when it’s diagnosed early. Doctors make this diagnosis based on the presenting symptoms of the patient, which would then be confirmed by other techniques, such as imaging test, ultrasound, computed tomography, blood tests, and tissue biopsy. Some of the ways pancreatic cancer can be treated include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, palliative care and surgery. Stem cells and exosomes are also potential ways of treating the disease. There has been progress in the process of engineering stem cells that can re-activate the immune system to start fighting and killing off pancreatic cancer cells.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is usually asymptomatic in the initial stages. Patients start displaying signs and symptoms when the disease is already at the advanced stage. This is why most cases of pancreatic cancer have a poor prognosis. It’s important to note that the disease mostly occurs in older adults, particularly in people above the age of 70. Below are some of the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer;
- Abdominal pain: Patients do complain of abdominal pain that radiates from the abdomen to the back. Sometimes, the pain can be localized to where the tumor is. Pain associated with pancreatic cancer usually becomes worse at night. Patients tend to slightly bend forward to relieve the pain. Abdominal pain is the most prevalent symptom for up to 50% of all pancreatic cancer cases.
- Loss of weight: Patients generally tend to lose their appetite. They usually also experience the loss of the exocrine function, that would eventually result in the poor digestion of food.
- Jaundice: This is the yellowing of the skin and the sclera of the eyes. It might or might not be associated with pain. Patients might also present with darkened urine. This occurs when there is an obstruction of the common bile duct by the head of the pancreas.
- Diabetes mellitus: The pancreas has both exocrine and endocrine functions. One of the endocrine functions of the pancreas is to secrete hormones such as insulin and glucagon, cholecystokinin and so on. The insulin is responsible for the control of the blood sugar. However, in pancreatic cancer, the endocrine function of the pancreas is impaired, which would lead to endocrine diseases such as diabetes mellitus. According to data, about half of people that are affected by pancreatic cancer do already have diabetes mellitus at the time of diagnosis.
- Obstruction and compression: A tumour often becomes very big, and tends to compress the nearby organs and tissues. The pancreas might compress the stomach, making it difficult for the stomach to release its content, eventually leading to a sense of fullness. Constipation is also a common symptom.
- Other presentations: Other presentations by patients include the chronic fatigue syndrome. This is a condition in which people feel consistently tired for more than 6 months. Taking a rest does not make it better. This syndrome is common in many cancer cases. Another symptom is depression. This has been observed in about 20% of cases of pancreatic carcinoma.
What Is The Cause Of Pancreatic Cancer?
The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is not known yet, however, doctors have identified some conditions that increase the risk of getting affected by the disease. Some of the factors include smoking, excess weight and so on.
What Are The Risk Factors For Pancreatic Cancer?
- Age: Pancreatic cancer rarely occurs in young adults, but rather prevalent in older adults, especially those above the age of 70.
- Gender: This disease is more prevalent in women than men.
- Smoking: Smoking is one of the most common risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Cigarette contains more than 64 carcinogens. These carcinogens increase the chances of developing the tumor. In addition, the longer one smokes, the higher the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
- Overweight and obesity: Having a high BMI, which translates to being overweight and obese increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by almost 50%.
- Diet: Although there is not enough evidence to back this up, it has been suggested that some certain type of food increases the risk of having pancreatic cancer. Some of them include processed meat and food product.
How Is Pancreatic Cancer Currently Treated?
Pancreatic cancer can be treated by different methods. Some of these methods include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and palliative care.
Stem Cell Therapy and Pancreatic Cancer
Scientists are looking for ways to isolate and identify the cancer stem cells that are responsible for the uncontrolled growth of the tissues. In addition, there has been progressing in the process of engineering stem cells that can re-activate the immune system to start fighting and killing off pancreatic cancer cells.
References
Kasai, K. (2016). GLI1, a master regulator of the hallmark of pancreatic cancer. Pathology International, 66(12), pp.653-660.
Rosch, J. and Keller, F. (1981). Pancreatic arteriography, transhepatic pancreatic venography, and pancreatic venous sampling in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Cancer, 47(S6), pp.1679-1684.
Theofilou, P. (2012). Psychological Aspects of Pancreatic Cancer. Pancreatic Disorders and Therapy, 02(01).
Xu, H., Zhang, Q., Gao, X. and Shang, D. (2017). One Distinctive Presentation in Radiology of Pancreatic Cancer: A Rare Case Report. Journal of Pancreatic Cancer, 3(1), pp.37-39.
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