Pancreatic Cancer
What Happens In Pancreatic Cancer?
Cancer begins in the organ lying behind the lower part of the stomach (pancreas). The pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of sugars. This type of cancer is often detected late, spreads rapidly and has a poor prognosis. There are no symptoms in the early stages. Later stages are associated with symptoms, but these can be non-specific, such as lack of appetite and weight loss.
Causes
Pancreatic cancer has no recognised cause. When aberrant cells in the pancreas begin to multiply and form tumours, this type of cancer develops. Healthy cells normally develop and die in small quantities. In the case of cancer, aberrant cell production is enhanced, and these cells eventually take over the healthy cells.
While doctors and researchers aren’t sure what causes the mutations in the cells, they do know a few things that can raise a person’s chances of acquiring this sort of cancer. Inherited gene mutations and acquired gene mutations are the two most major risk factors. Changes in genes can cause cancer because they influence how cells behave.
Symptoms
Pancreatic cancer frequently has no symptoms until it has progressed to an advanced stage. As a result, there are usually no early indications of pancreatic cancer. Some of the most frequent symptoms can be mild even after the cancer has progressed. They are as follows:
- Appetite loss is common.
- Weight loss that occurs unintentionally.
- Lower backache or abdominal (stomach) pain.
- Clots in the blood.
- Jaundice Depression.
Diagnosis
Imaging test: Images of your inside organs are created via imaging examinations. These tests allow your doctors to see inside your body, including your pancreas. Ultrasound, computerised tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and, in certain cases, positron emission tomography (PET) scans are all used to diagnose pancreatic cancer.
Ultrasound: Creating ultrasound images of your pancreas with a scope. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a procedure that employs an ultrasound instrument to produce images of your pancreas from within your belly. To obtain the images, the instrument is sent down your throat and into your stomach using a tiny, flexible tube (endoscope).
Biopsy: Taking a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy). A biopsy is a technique in which a tiny sample of tissue is removed and examined under a microscope. During an EUS, tissue is usually harvested by passing specific tools via the endoscope. A sample of tissue from the pancreas is collected less frequently by putting a needle through your skin and into your pancreas (fine-needle aspiration).
Blood test: Your doctor may perform a blood test to look for certain proteins (tumour markers) released by pancreatic cancer cells. CA19-9 is a tumour marker test used in pancreatic cancer. It could help you figure out how your cancer responds to treatment. However, the test isn’t always accurate because some people with pancreatic cancer don’t have elevated CA19-9 levels, making it ineffective.
If your doctor confirms a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, he or she will try to assess the cancer’s extent (stage). Your doctor assigns a stage to your pancreatic cancer based on the results of staging tests, which helps identify which treatments are most likely to help you.
Diagnosis
Imaging test: Images of your inside organs are created via imaging examinations. These tests allow your doctors to see inside your body, including your pancreas. Ultrasound, computerised tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and, in certain cases, positron emission tomography (PET) scans are all used to diagnose pancreatic cancer.
Ultrasound: Creating ultrasound images of your pancreas with a scope. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a procedure that employs an ultrasound instrument to produce images of your pancreas from within your belly. To obtain the images, the instrument is sent down your throat and into your stomach using a tiny, flexible tube (endoscope).
Biopsy: Taking a sample of tissue for testing (biopsy). A biopsy is a technique in which a tiny sample of tissue is removed and examined under a microscope. During an EUS, tissue is usually harvested by passing specific tools via the endoscope. A sample of tissue from the pancreas is collected less frequently by putting a needle through your skin and into your pancreas (fine-needle aspiration).
Blood test: Your doctor may perform a blood test to look for certain proteins (tumour markers) released by pancreatic cancer cells. CA19-9 is a tumour marker test used in pancreatic cancer. It could help you figure out how your cancer responds to treatment. However, the test isn’t always accurate because some people with pancreatic cancer don’t have elevated CA19-9 levels, making it ineffective.
If your doctor confirms a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, he or she will try to assess the cancer’s extent (stage). Your doctor assigns a stage to your pancreatic cancer based on the results of staging tests, which helps identify which treatments are most likely to help you.
Treatment
Treatment may include surgically removing the pancreas, radiation and chemotherapy.
Surgeries:
- Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple’s Procedure)
- Radical Antegrade Modular Pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS)
- Distal Pancreatectomy