| Pancreatic cancer is a relatively rare | | | | the age of 45. |
| disorder, accounting for about 3 in 100 cases | | | | |
| of all cancer in the US. However, the | | | | The Facts on Pancreatic Cancer |
| disease, which mainly affects people over 50, | | | | |
| is becoming more common in the US as life | | | | About one in 79 people will develop |
| expectancy increases. Pancreatic cancer | | | | pancreatic cancer (cancer of the pancreas) |
| occurs almost twice as frequently in men as | | | | over their lifetime. In North America in |
| in women and the disease is slightly more | | | | 2007, pancreatic cancer was responsible for |
| common in African-Americans and Polynesians. | | | | the fourth highest number of deaths among |
| | | | cancer deaths. The risk of developing |
| The pancreas is a spongy, tube-shaped organ | | | | pancreatic cancer is about the same for both |
| about 6 inches long. It is located in the | | | | men and women. Pancreatic cancer is sometimes |
| back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The | | | | called a silent disease because it is |
| head of the pancreas is on the right side of | | | | difficult to detect and symptoms do not |
| the abdomen. It is connected to the duodenum, | | | | usually appear until the cancer has grown for |
| the upper end of the small intestine. The | | | | quite some time. |
| narrow end of the pancreas, called the tail, | | | | |
| extends to the left side of the body. | | | | This cancer is difficult to diagnose because |
| | | | there are no symptoms in the early stages and |
| The pancreas is a gland about five inches | | | | because , when symptoms appear, they match |
| long located behind the stomach. It is | | | | other diseases. Depending on the stage and |
| surrounded by the liver, gallbladder, and | | | | location of the cancer, surgery, chemotherapy |
| small intestine. The pancreas has two main | | | | and/or radiation therapy may be used. If the |
| functions. One is to produce digestive fluids | | | | cancer has not spread beyond the pancreas, |
| needed to neutralize stomach acids and break | | | | therapy can be successful, but, as stated |
| down food. The second is to produce hormones, | | | | earlier, it's very unlikely to find |
| such as insulin, that are needed to | | | | pancreatic cancer in the early stages. In |
| metabolize sugar. Pancreatic cancer occurs | | | | later stages, often the therapy concentrates |
| when abnormal (cancerous) cells grow in the | | | | on the comfort of the patient. |
| tissues of the pancreas. | | | | |
| | | | Complete resection is the only effective |
| Pancreatic cancer is the seventh leading | | | | treatment of pancreatic ductal carcinoma. |
| cause of cancer in the U.S., and the fourth | | | | Regrettably, such curative operations are |
| leading cause of cancer deaths. The American | | | | possible in less than 15 percent of patients |
| Cancer Society estimated that 33,730 new | | | | and are limited, for all practical purposes, |
| cases of pancreatic cancer would have been | | | | to those individuals with tumors in the |
| reported in the U.S. in 2006. Although the | | | | pancreatic head that have caused jaundice |
| rates of pancreatic cancer have declined in | | | | leading to an earlier diagnosis. Tumor spread |
| men over the past 20 years, the rates in | | | | to other sites in the abdomen such as the |
| women have remained constant. Nonetheless, | | | | lining of the abdominal cavity |
| pancreatic cancer most commonly affects | | | | ("peritoneum"), liver, or to the lungs is a |
| males, occurring most often in people over | | | | contraindication to major surgery. |