pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues ofyour pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies horizontally behind the lower partof your stomach. your pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestionand hormones that help regulate the metabolism of sugars. pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis,even when diagnosed early.
type of diet for pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer typically spreads rapidlyand is seldom detected in its early stages, which is a major reason why it's a leadingcause of cancer death. signs and symptoms may not appear until pancreaticcancer is quite advanced and complete surgical removal isn't possible.
pancreatic cancer is categorized dependingon whether it affects the exocrine or endocrine functions of the pancreas. there is an important distinction betweenthe two broad types of pancreatic cancer because they have different risk factors, causes,symptoms, diagnostic tests, treatments, and prognoses. tumors that affect the exocrine functionsare the most common type of pancreatic cancer. sometimes these tumors or cysts are benign,called cystadenomas. however, it is more likely to find malignanttumors called adenocarcinomas, which account for 95% of exocrine pancreatic cancers.
adenocarcinomas typically start in gland cellsin the ducts of the pancreas, but they can also arise from pancreatic enzyme cells (acinarcell carcinoma). other types of pancreatic cancers that areassociated with exocrine functions include adenosquamous carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas,and giant cell carcinomas, named for their appearances underneath a microscope. there is also a disease called ampullary cancer(carcinoma of the ampulla of vater) that starts where the bile duct and pancreatic duct meetthe duodenum of the small intestine. tumors that affect the endocrine functionsof the pancreas are called neuroendocrine or islet cell tumors, but these are fairlyuncommon.
these tumors are named for the type of hormone-producingcell that is initially affected. for example: insulinomas (insulin), glucagonomas(glucagon), gastrinomas (gastrin), somatostatinomas (somatostatin), and vipomas (vasoactive intestinalpeptide or vip). functioning islet cell tumors still make hormones,while non-functioning ones do not. most of these tumors are benign, but non-functioningtumors are more likely to be malignant, islet cell carcinomas. causes of pancreatic cancer. although scientists do not know exactly whatcauses these cells to behave this way, they have identified several potential risk factors.
1. genes - the dna type. cells can experience uncontrolled growth ifthere is damage or mutations in the dna, and therefore, damage to the genes involved incell division. four key types of genes are responsible forthe cell division process: oncogenes tell cells when to divide, tumor suppressor genestell cells when not to divide, suicide genes control apoptosis and tell cells to kill themselvesif something goes wrong, and dna-repair genes instruct cells to repair damaged dna. cancer occurs when a cell's gene mutationsmake the cell unable to correct dna damage
and unable to commit suicide. similarly, cancer is a result of mutationsthat inhibit oncogene and tumor suppressor gene functions, leading to uncontrollablecell growth. if you have dna mutations of oncogenes ortumor suppressor genes that lead to pancreatic cancer, it is likely that the mutation wasa result of factors that affected dna after you were born rather than a result of inheritancefrom parents. 2. genes - the family type. cancer can be the result of a genetic predispositionthat is inherited from family members.
it is possible to be born with certain geneticmutations or a fault in a gene that makes one statistically more likely to develop cancerlater in life. about 10% of pancreatic cancers are thoughto be caused by inherited gene mutations. genetic syndromes that are associated withpancreatic cancer include hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, melanoma, pancreatitis,and non-polyposis colorectal cancer (lynch syndrome). 3. carcinogens. carcinogens are a class of substances thatare directly responsible for damaging dna,
promoting or aiding cancer. certain pesticides, dyes, and chemicals usedin metal refining are thought to be carcinogenic, increasing the risk of developing pancreaticcancer. when our bodies are exposed to carcinogens,free radicals are formed that try to steal electrons from other molecules in the body. theses free radicals damage cells, affectingtheir ability to function normally, and the result can be cancerous growths. 4. other medical factors.
as we age, there is an increase in the numberof possible cancer-causing mutations in our dna. this makes age an important risk factor forpancreatic cancer, especially for those over the age of 60. there are several other diseases that havebeen associated with an increased risk of cancer of the pancreas. these include cirrhosis or scarring of theliver, helicobacter pylori infection (infection of the stomach with the ulcer-causing bacteriah. pylori), diabetes mellitus, chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), and gingivitisor periodontal disease.
5. traits, habits, and diet. pancreatic cancers are more likely to existin men than in women, and among african-americans than among whites. smoking cigarettes increases one's risk ofpancreatic cancer by a factor of 2 or 3. even smokeless tobacco has been noted as arisk factor. diet and obesity have also been linked tocancers of the pancreas. people who do not exercise much and who areobese are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
in addition, those who eat diets low in vegetablesand fruits and high in red meat and fat are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. alcohol consumption is also considered a riskfactor for pancreatic cancer. long term, heavy drinking leads to chronicpancreatitis, which is a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. stages of pancreatic cancer. using information from staging tests, yourdoctor assigns your pancreatic cancer a stage. the stages of pancreatic cancer are: stage i. cancer is confined to the pancreasand can be removed using surgery.
stage ii. cancer has spread beyond the pancreas to nearbytissues and organs and may have spread to the lymph nodes. at this stage, surgery may be possible toremove the cancer. stage iii. cancer has spread beyond the pancreas to themajor blood vessels around the pancreas and may have spread to the lymph nodes. surgery may or may not be possible to removethe cancer at this stage. stage iv.
cancer has spread to distant sites beyondthe pancreas, such as the liver, lungs and the lining that surrounds your abdominal organs(peritoneum). surgery isn't an option at this stage in thedisease. pancreatic cancer symptoms. pancreatic cancer often goes undetected untilit's advanced and difficult to treat. in the vast majority of cases, symptoms onlydevelop after pancreatic cancer has grown and begun to spread. because more than 95% of pancreatic canceris the adenocarcinoma type, we'll describe those symptoms first, followed by symptomsof rare forms of pancreatic cancer.
initially, pancreatic cancer tends to be silentand painless as it grows. by the time it's large enough to cause symptoms,pancreatic cancer has generally grown outside the pancreas. at this point, symptoms depend on the cancer'slocation within the pancreas. pancreatic cancer in the head of the pancreastends to cause symptoms such as weight loss, jaundice (yellow skin), dark urine, lightstool color, itching, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, back pain, and enlarged lymph nodesin the neck. pancreatic cancer in the body or tail of thepancreas usually causes belly and/or back pain and weight loss.
pancreatic cancer and gastrointestinal symptoms. because pancreatic cancer grows around importantareas of the digestive system, gastrointestinal symptoms often predominate: abdominal pain. more than 80% of people with pancreatic cancereventually experience some abdominal pain as the tumor grows. pancreatic cancer can cause a dull ache inthe upper abdomen radiating to the back. the pain may come and go. bloating.
some people with pancreatic cancer have asense of early fullness with meals (satiety) or an uncomfortable swelling in the abdomen. nausea. diarrhea. pale-colored stools. if the duct draining bile into the intestineis blocked by pancreatic cancer, the stools may lose their brown color and become paleor clay-colored. urine may become darker. pancreatic cancer: whole-body symptoms.
as it grows and spreads, pancreatic canceraffects the whole body. such symptoms can include: weight loss. malaise. loss of appetite. elevated blood sugars. some people with pancreatic cancer developdiabetes as the cancer impairs the pancreas' ability to produce insulin. (however, the vast majority of people witha new diagnosis of diabetes do not have pancreatic
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