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