The Basics Of Pancreatic Cancer

What is pancreatic cancer?

— Pancreatic cancer happens when normal cells in the pancreas change into abnormal cells and grow out of control. The pancre­as is an organ that sits be­hind the stomach. It makes hormones and juices that help the body break down food.

In Nigeria, Pancreatic cancer is the 15th most common cancer as it not very common. However, it is a lethal disease as it is difficult to manage due to a lack of awareness, late diagnosis, and a lack of access to proper care.

What Are Risk Factors for pancreatic cancer?

Smoking or tobacco use

History of diabetes

Chronic pancreatitis

Stomach ulcer

Obesity

Helicobacter pylori in­fection

Chronic pancreatitis

Genetics or strong fam­ily history of pancreatic cancer

What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to diagnose early because it often doesn›t cause symptoms until it has spread to other or­gans. Symptoms include:

Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes

Itchy skin

Darker urine

Pale stools

Unexplained weight loss: People might not feel hungry or might feel full after eating very little.

Nausea

Feeling full

Foul-smelling stools: Di­arrhea – Bowel movements can look greasy or be dif­ficult to flush in the toilet bowl.

Constipation

Pain – People can have pain that spreads from their stomach area around to their back. The pain can come and go, and it can get worse after eating.

Yellowing of the skin, called jaundice – Both the skin and the white part of the eyes can turn yellow. When jaundice happens in people with pancreatic cancer, it is usually be­cause one of the tubes that carry bile from the gall­bladder to the intestines is blocked. (The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped or­gan that stores bile, a fluid that helps the body break down fat.) If a bile duct gets blocked, it can also cause your bowel movements to look gray instead of brown.

These symptoms can also be caused by condi­tions that are not pancre­atic cancer. But if you have these symptoms, tell your healthcare provider about them.

Is there a test for pancreatic cancer?

— Yes. If your health­care provider suspects you have pancreatic cancer, he or she will order one or more tests. These can in­clude:

¡Blood tests

¡ Imaging tests, such as an ultrasound, a CT scan, or a test called ERCP (which stands for endo­scopic retrograde chol­angiopancreatography) – These tests create pictures of the inside of the body and can show abnormal growths.

¡Biopsy – For a biopsy, a healthcare provider takes a small sample of tissue from the pancreas. Then a specialist will look at the sample under a microscope to check for cancer.

What is cancer staging?

— Cancer staging is a way in which doctors find out how far a cancer has spread.

The right treatment for you will depend a lot on the stage of your cancer. Your treatment will also depend on your age and other med­ical problems.

How is pancreatic cancer treated?

— People with pancreat­ic cancer might be offered one or more of the follow­ing treatments:

¡Surgery: Pancreatic cancer can sometimes be treated with surgery to remove the cancer. Before surgery, a doctor might do a procedure called “laparos­copy.” In a laparoscopy, a doctor will make small cuts in the belly. He or she will put a thin tube with a cam­era on it in­side the bel­ly to check wh e t h e r there is spread of cancer out­side of the pancreas.

¡Chemo­t h e r a p y : C h e m o ­therapy is the term doctors use to describe a group of medicines that kill can­cer cells.

¡ Radia­tion ther­apy: Radi­ation kills cancer cells.

Pancre­atic cancer can some­times be cured with treatment. This is most likely in people whose cancer is found at an early stage. Even if your pan­creatic cancer cannot be cured, your doctor can treat your symptoms. For example, he or she can pre­scribe medicine, or a proce­dure called a celiac plexus block to reduce your pain.

What happens after treat­ment?

— Following treatment, you will be checked every so often to see if the cancer comes back. Follow up tests usually include exams, blood tests, and imaging tests. If the cancer comes back after treatment, you might have chemotherapy or radiation therapy. You might also get pain medi­cine or other treatments to help with pain.

What else should I do?

— It is important to follow all your doctors› instructions about visits and tests. It›s also import­ant to talk to your doctor about any side effects or problems you have during treatment.

Getting treated for pan­creatic cancer involves making many choices, such as which treatment to have.

Always let your health­care providers know how you feel about a treatment. Any time you are offered a treatment, ask:

¡What are the benefits of this treatment? Is it like­ly to help me live longer? Will it reduce or prevent symptoms?

¡What are the downsides to this treatment?

¡Are there other options besides this treatment?

¡What happens if I do not have this treatment?

Pancreatic enzyme re­placement therapy (PERT) can help with digestion and weight maintenance if you’ve lost weight.

What is the prognosis of pan­creatic cancer in Nigeria?

The prognosis for pan­creatic cancer in Nigeria is poor, with a high rate of advanced diagnosis and death. The one-year surviv­al rate is 20%.

MKO Abimbola holds a doctor­al degree in physician associate studies from the United States of America. He is a Harvard Medical School scholar. He spe­cializes in Internal medicine, Acute care, Emergency Med­icine, Geriatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgical services.