The Facts About Pancreatic Cancer

The pancreas is a glandular organ in the abdomen located behind the bottom portion of the stomach. The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes and makes hormones responsible for helping control blood sugars.

The pancreas can produce both cancerous and noncancerous tumors. The most common kind of pancreatic cancer begins in the cells that line the ducts, which the pancreas uses to discharge digesting enzymes.

Pancreatic cancer is typically not discovered in its initial stages, when it's most treatable, because it rarely presents any symptoms until it has progressed to other organs.

The pancreas is a long, tapered organ situated across the back of the stomach. It is crucial to the process of transforming food into energy for the body's cells.

A pancreas's two primary tasks are classified as exocrine function, which helps with digestion, and endocrine function, which controls blood sugar levels.

By releasing insulin into your bloodstream, the pancreas helps with digestion and regulates the body's blood sugar levels.

If the pancreas is not working properly or the body cannot use the insulin it produces, blood sugar levels rise too high, often resulting in diabetes. Diabetes is related to both pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and pancreatic cancer.

You do not necessarily have issues with your pancreas because you have diabetes, and conversely, experiencing these pancreatic disorders and diseases does not guarantee you will develop diabetes.

Diabetes and pancreatic disorders can sometimes coexist. Pancreatitis occurs when digestive system proteins begin to function while still in the pancreas, irritating its cells and leading to inflammation.

Despite the fact that diabetes does not cause pancreatitis, statistics indicate people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop pancreatitis.

Sexuality and intimacy won't likely be top of mind when you have pancreatic cancer and are dealing with it on a daily basis, especially if you're plagued with issues of sexual dysfunction because of cancer.

Cancer can disrupt your sex life in many different ways. For example, your libido may decline as a result of pancreatic cancer and treatment as your body adjusts to changes in your hormone levels, fatigue, anxiety and the side effects of cancer medications.

Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, following lung cancer and colon cancer. Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. It's estimated that more than 62,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease in 2022 and about 50,000 will die as a direct result of pancreatic cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

As people age, their chance of getting pancreatic cancer rises. Pancreatic cancer typically affects adults older than age 45. It's estimated that about 90 percent of people with pancreatic cancer are older than 55. Pancreatic cancer affects men more frequently than women. It is more likely to affect Black people than Asian, Hispanic or white people.

Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer often do not occur until the disease is advanced.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer may include:

• Abdominal pain 
• Blood clots
• Dark-colored urine
• Fatigue 
• Itchy skin
• Light-colored stools
• Loss of appetite
• New diagnosis of diabetes 
• Unintended weight loss
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is unclear. However, a few risk factors can increase your chance of getting it.

Diets high in red meat and saturated fats may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Sugary drinks can also increase risk. Other major risk factors include cigarette smoking, chronic pancreatitis and family history. Statistics indicate cigarette smokers are twice as likely as nonsmokers to develop pancreatic cancer.

Studies also suggest excessive alcohol consumption can lead to chronic pancreatitis.

When the pancreas is inflamed, inflammatory cells emit growth factors and toxins. Over many years of ongoing pancreatic inflammation, these growth hormones and toxins cause genetic damage and unregulated pancreatic cell multiplication. Pancreatic cancer could be the outcome. However, it's critical to keep in mind that it takes time for your risk of developing pancreatic cancer to rise after developing chronic pancreatitis.

While it's important to know your family's medical history, this is not a factor for the majority of people with pancreatic cancer. Researchers have discovered some potential links between kinship and a higher risk of developing cancer. For example, there is a higher risk of pancreatic cancer in people with two or more first-degree relatives who have had the disease. However, at this time, the genes linked to hereditary malignancies are still a topic of ongoing research.

Since the causes of pancreatic cancer are unclear, it's difficult to work on a medical strategy to prevent it. However, research indicates that modifying day-to-day behaviors to become healthier can reduce your risk of developing the disease.

Consider these prevention tips to avoid pancreatic cancer:

• Drink alcohol in moderation.
• Don't smoke. If you do smoke, try to quit.
• If you have diabetes, control your blood sugar levels.
• Try to maintain a normal weight by eating healthy and exercising.

Early detection of pancreatic cancer is challenging. There is no established early-detection technique or standardized diagnostic instrument for pancreatic cancer in the general population. However, in people who are more at risk for the disease, imaging and blood-based diagnostics may be able to identify pancreatic cancer in its early stages.

When early symptoms of the illness are noticed or detected during testing for other medical disorders, early-stage pancreatic cancer—stage I—is typically the culprit. However, most pancreatic cancer patients are identified at stage IV, where the disease has advanced and metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body.

Checking scanned images of the pancreas and its surrounding areas is one approach to identifying pancreatic cancer. These tests can be used to find potential tumors, check for tumor spread and assess the efficacy of treatment. If cancer is found, several imaging tests allow for the collection of tissue samples for biopsies.

Pancreatic cancer diagnostic tools include:

• Biopsy
• Blood tests
• CT (computed tomography) scan
• Endoscopic ultrasound
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan

Scientists are working to discover better ways to prevent, detect and treat pancreatic cancer. The New Onset Diabetes (NOD) study is looking at 10,000 people with new-onset diabetes or prediabetes. The researchers hope to develop a blood test that can identify people with a new diabetes diagnosis who may need further testing for pancreatic cancer.

The Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium (PCDC) is attempting to create a blood test that could detect early pancreatic cancer in the general population. These researchers are working to improve imaging of the pancreas and developing techniques that may be able to detect tiny deposits of cancer cells.

The treatment options for pancreatic cancer are radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and surgery. Treatment recommendations depend on a variety of factors, including the type and stage of cancer, potential side effects and the patient's overall health.

Learning about all your treatment options is critical. Make sure you ask your doctor plenty of questions if anything is unclear. Your doctor can inform you of the treatment goals as well as what you can expect.

Not everyone who has pancreatic cancer experiences changes in their sex life. It's possible nothing will change. However, many people discover pancreatic cancer alters their perception of their body, impacting how they feel about themselves and their sex lives.

Some people become extremely exhausted during treatment and lose interest in sex. However, some people claim they want to have sex more frequently than usual. Sometimes a serious illness like cancer can bring partners in a relationship closer.

It is impossible to predict precisely how cancer may influence your libido (sex drive) and sex life because each individual is different. Talking to your partner or doctor about your worries and concerns regarding your sex life can certainly help ease your anxiety. A urologist or sex therapist can also recommend ways to improve any sexual problems or dysfunction you're experiencing.

Here are steps you can take to make a difference in the life of someone who has pancreatic cancer:

• Be a friend. Simply being there for someone is helpful. Talk with them, share memories, discuss current events—whatever they enjoy. Your job is to make them feel less isolated.
• Help with chores around the house. They may struggle with simple daily tasks such as walking the dog, taking out the trash and paying bills.
• Help with transportation. If you live near their doctor's office, offer to give them a ride to their appointments. You can also help run errands, such as grocery shopping or going to the post office.
• Prepare or buy meals. Pancreatic cancer often affects the appetite of patients. It's helpful to prepare meals for them but make sure to ask them about their dietary restrictions first.

After receiving a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, life can quickly become exceedingly difficult. Try to give yourself time to acclimate to the psychological and physical changes that coincide with the disease by establishing a new daily schedule that works for you and your symptoms.

Discuss your situation with your doctor so they can better describe what you can expect related to symptoms, treatment and possible side effects, and offer some insights into how you can prepare.

You will likely experience a range of feelings following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Talk to your treatment team if you are struggling to manage your emotions.Many people with cancer have a lot of questions concerning the effects of the disease on their families, as well as reflective thoughts about the life they've led and what the future holds for them. These thoughts are all completely normal.

After your cancer diagnosis, you may not know what to say or think. You may become depressed, angry or scared. But there is no right or wrong way to react. Take time to process what is happening to you, accept that some days will be more difficult than others and consider asking your doctor for a recommendation for someone you can talk to about your feelings.

It's important you build your support network, including family and friends, as well as the medical team helping you. In addition, try reaching out to online support groups where you can find other people coping with pancreatic cancer on a day-to-day basis who can offer you information based on their own experiences.

For more information, try some of these resources:

• American Cancer Society
• Cancer.net
• Cancer Care
• National Pancreas Foundation
• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

What are the first warning signs of pancreatic cancer?

Early symptoms of a pancreatic tumor commonly include jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. This is caused by an excess of bilirubin, a yellow-brown substance produced by the liver. Sudden and severe weight loss can also be an early warning sign of pancreatic cancer.

A dull, fluctuating ache in the upper abdomen or the middle or upper back is a common sign of pancreatic cancer. Some people say their back discomfort begins in the center of their belly and spreads. Pain may be worse when lying down.

What is the number one cause of pancreatic cancer?

Despite the fact that exact causes of pancreatic cancer are unclear, we know DNA mutations are the root of all cancers. Numerous risk factors have been identified, which may result in these mutations and the emergence of pancreatic cancer.

One of the main risk factors for pancreatic cancer is smoking. According to the American Cancer Society, cigarette smoking is estimated to be the root cause of 25 percent of pancreatic cancer cases. The chance of getting pancreatic cancer among smokers is twice that of nonsmokers.

Can you live without your pancreas?

You can survive without a pancreas. However, when the entire organ is removed, people are left without the cells that produce the insulin that maintains safe blood sugar levels. These people develop diabetes, which can be difficult to manage because they are dependent on insulin shots.

People who have had their pancreas removed also need to take pancreatic enzyme medications to help them digest certain foods.