Pancreatic cancer
The pancreas is one of the organs and pancreatic cancer forms in the tissues of the pancreas in your abdomen. The pancreas generates hormones that help you control your blood sugar and enzymes that help with digestion.
Many treatments for pancreatic cancer are available depending on how advanced the illness is. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are potential options.
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer
Signs and symptoms frequently don’t appear until the disease has progressed.
They may consist of:
- Back discomfort that originates in the abdomen
- Appetite loss or unintentional weight loss
- Skin and whites of your eye becoming yellow
- Allergies
- Urine with a deep color
- Light-colored stools
- Diabetes
- Clots of blood
- Fatigue
Causes
The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is unidentified. Smoking and having particular inherited gene mutations are two factors that doctors uncovered that might raise the risk of this type of cancer.
The cells that line the pancreatic ducts are where most pancreatic cancers start.
The mutations instruct the cells to continue growing uncontrollably and existing after normal cells expire. A tumor can develop from these accumulated cells. If untreated, pancreatic cancer cells have the potential to invade surrounding organs, blood vessels, and distant regions of the body.
Risk factors and complications
You may be more susceptible to developing pancreatic cancer if you have:
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Pancreatic inflammation that is persistent
- Family history of specific genetic abnormalities, such as Lynch syndrome
- Having pancreatic cancer in the family
- Obesity
- Older age, as the majority of diagnoses, occur after age 65
As pancreatic cancer spreads, it may result in difficulties like:
- Weight loss
- Bile duct blockage
- Jaundice
- Pain
Preventing pancreatic cancer
Your chance of developing may be lower if you:
- Quit smoking
- keep a healthy BMI
- Eat a balanced diet
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 16 JULY 2022