Pancreatic cancer

 ICD9           = 157|
 ICDO           = |
 OMIM           = 260350 |
 MedlinePlus    = 000236 |
 eMedicineSubj  = med |
 eMedicineTopic = 1712 |
 DiseasesDB     = 9510 |

}} Pancreatic cancer (also called cancer of the pancreas) is represented by the growth of a malignant tumourwithin the small pancreas organ. Each year about 31,000 individuals in the United Statesare diagnosed with this condition, with more than 60,000 in Europe.

Types

• M8140/3: The most common form of this disease is known as adenocarcinomaof the pancreas. It is one of the most lethal forms of cancer with few victims still alive 5 years after diagnosis, and complete remission still extremely rare.

• M8150/1, M8150/3: A less common, and typically far less aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, is called islet-cell tumor (and is sometimes also known by the term neuroendocrine tumor).

Risk factors

Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include [1]:

• Age
• Male gender
• African-American ethnicity
• Smoking
• Diets high in meat
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Chronic pancreatitishas been linked, but is not known to be causal.
• Occupational exposure to certain pesticides, dyes, and chemicals related to gasoline
• Family history
• Helicobacter pyloriinfection

Diagnosis

Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is difficult because the symptoms are so non-specific and varied. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, significant weight loss, jaundice, digestive problems, and depression.

Courvoisier's lawis sometimes used to distinguish pancreatic cancer from gallstones.

Pancreatic cancer is usually discovered during the course of the evaluation of these symptoms by e.g. abdominal CT. Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS) is another procedure that can help visualize the tumor and obtain tissue to establish the diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment of pancreatic cancer depends on the stage of the cancer [2]Recent advances have made resection of tumors that were previously unrescetable due to blood vessel involvement possible. The Whipple procedureis the most common surgical treatment for cancers involving the head of the pancreas.

Recent advances in the treatment of pancreatic cancer: For number of years, treatment of pancreatic cancer was limited to 5-FU alone. Then Gemcitabine was introduced. Gemcitabine had no survival advantage in pancreatic cancer compared to 5-FU, but the drug was FDA approved for pancreatic cancer based on better improvement in symptoms compared to 5-FU.

Targeted therapy using several new drugsis showing significant improvements in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. New drugs for the treatment of pancreatic cancer include: erlotinib, cetuximab, bevacizumab, tipifarnib. These drugs hold promise for the future treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer.

Prognosis

Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer typically have a poor prognosisbecause the cancer usually causes no symptoms early on, leading to metastatic disease at time of diagnosis. Median survival times from diagnosis of 3-4 months are not unknown.

Pancreatic cancer occasionally may result in diabetes. The insulin production is hampered and it has been suggested that the cancer can also prompt the onset of diabetes and vice versa. [3]

Prevention

Prevention of pancreatic cancer consists of avoiding risk factors when possible [4]. Cigarette smoking is considered to be the most significant and avoidable risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising may be helpful. Additionally, increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while decreasing red meat intake is recommended.

Victims of pancreatic cancer (survivors)

• Steve Jobs, Co-founder Apple

Victims of pancreatic cancer (all deceased)

• Sir Alan Bates, British actor
• Ralph Bates, British actor (no relation to Sir Alan Bates)
• Melvin Belli, famous (controversial) lawyer
• Jack Benny, comedian/actor
• Joseph Bernardin, U.S. Cardinal Archbishop
• Steve Caldwell, singer & saxophonist
• Madeleine Carroll, actress
• Betty Carter, singer
• Billy Carter, brother of former President Jimmy Carter
• James Earl Carter, Sr., father of former President Jimmy Carter
• Jef Raskin, Macintosh pioneer
• Oona Chaplin, neé O'Neill; widow of Charlie Chaplin
• Emily Couric, Virginia-state politician; sister of Katie Couric
• Joan Crawford, Oscar-winning star
• Richard Crenna, actor
• Dick Cusack, actor; patriarch of Cusack acting clan
• Vince Edwards, actor
• Mary Jayne Gold, socialite turned WWII humanitarian/lifesaver
• Tyrone "Crusher" Green, musical director/conductor; drummer
• Fred Gwynne, actor; most famous as "Herman Munster" on TV
• Sir Rex Harrison, Oscar-winning British actor
• Bill Hicks, American stand-up comedian
• Murray Kempton, writer/columnist
• Fiorello LaGuardia, politician
• Michael Landon, TV actor/director/producer
• Marc A. Lustgarten, Cablevisionvice-chairman, and chairman of Madison Square Garden(he created an eponymous foundation to research and find a cure for pancreatic cancer)
• Anna Magnani, Oscar-winning actress
• Donal McCann, Irish actor
• Milton Karl Ochs, teacher
• Ron O'Neal, actor
• Benjamin Orr, rock musician
• Brock Peters, actor
• Juliet Prowse, actress/dancer
• Donna Reed, Oscar-winning actress
• Sylvan Rodriguez, news anchor for KHOU-TVChannel 11 in Houston, Texas
• Helena Schultz, wife of George Schultz
• Rose Sieger, estranged wife of boxer Sammy Sieger
• Howard Simons, former Washington Posteditor
• Gloria Carter Spann, sister of former President Jimmy Carter
• Johnny Speight, British TV writer and producer
• Ruth Carter Stapleton, sister of former President Jimmy Carter
• John Sylvester White, TV actor (Welcome Back Kotter)

External links

• Confronting Pancreatic Cancer(Pancreatica.org)
• Cancer of the Pancreas(Cancer Supportive Care Program)
• American Cancer Society: Detailed Guide on Pancreatic Cancer

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreatic+cancer Wikipedia article Pancreatic cancer.