Pancreatic cancer
Pancreas is a gland located transversely behind our stomach. Its functions are two-fold—production of insulin and digestive juices, essential for metabolism. In most cases, pancreatic cancer does not show any symptoms in its early stages. Only when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body or reaches stage IV or V, is the disease diagnosed. As a result, treatment becomes quite difficult.
Symptoms
Fatigue, loss of appetite or lack of appetite, jaundice, recurrent upper abdominal pain, back pain, nausea, depression, abdominal discomfort. These common symptoms can be signs of pancreatic cancer. Be careful with weight loss.
because
Smoking, diabetes, family history of pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, alcohol consumption, excessive weight gain etc.
Diagnosis
First some blood tests and an abdominal ultrasonogram or CT scan are done. A PET scan can determine how far pancreatic cancer has spread. Diagnosis can also be made with endoscopic ultrasound, MRI, and late-stage biopsy.
Types of pancreatic cancer
Exocrine pancreatic cancer. It is a cancer that starts in cells outside the body. About 95 percent of people develop exocrine pancreatic cancer. It has many types.
Endocrine pancreatic cancer. It begins in the pancreas, where insulin and other hormones are produced and released directly into the blood.
In the first stage, the cancer is limited to the pancreas. Stage II is also confined to the pancreas, but the tumor grows to two to four centimeters in size. In stage III, the tumor is larger than four centimeters in size and the cancer may have spread to nearby lymph nodes. In stage IV, the cancer has spread to nearby blood vessels or nerves. And in the fifth stage, it spreads to distant parts of the body.
treatment
Treatment depends on the stage and grade of the cancer. This is the first and second stage of cancer treatment surgery. In this case, there is a possibility that the cancer will be completely cured. If it reaches the third and fourth stage, then the eradication of the cancer becomes impossible. Then the doctor performed a palliative operation. And when the disease is detected in the fifth stage, only those problems caused by cancer are treated. In this case, surgery, chemotherapy, drugs and radiotherapy are given.