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