Personal stories from real people who survived their disease … And how they did it!

personal stories from people who successfully battled their disease and how they did it

More about Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer occurs within the tissues of the pancreas, which is a vital endocrine organ located behind the stomach. The pancreas plays an essential role in digestion by producing enzymes that the body needs to digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. The pancreas also produces two important hormones: glucagon and insulin. These hormones are responsible for controlling glucose (sugar) metabolism. Insulin helps cells metabolize glucose to make energy and glucagon helps raise glucose levels when they are too low. Due to the location of the pancreas, pancreatic cancer may be difficult to detect and is often diagnosed in more advanced stages of the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer makes up about 3 percent of cancer diagnoses in the United States and 7 percent of cancer deaths.

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Causes

The cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown. This type of cancer occurs when abnormal cells begin to grow within the pancreas and form tumors. Normally, healthy cells grow and die in moderate numbers. In the case of cancer, there is an increased amount of abnormal cell production, and these cells eventually take over the healthy cells. While doctors and researchers don’t know what causes the changes in the cells, they do know some common factors that may increase a person’s risk for developing this type of cancer. The two most significant risk factors are inherited gene mutations and acquired gene mutations. Genes control the way cells acts, so changes to those genes may lead to cancer.

Symptoms

Pancreatic cancer often doesn’t show symptoms until it reaches the advanced stages of the disease. For this reason, there typically aren’t any early signs of pancreatic cancer. Even once the cancer has grown, some of the most common symptoms can be subtle. They include: Loss of appetite, Unintentional weight loss, Abdominal (stomach) or lower back pain, Blood clots, Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) and/or Depression. Pancreatic cancer that spreads may worsen preexisting symptoms. If the cancer spreads, you may experience additional signs and symptoms of advanced pancreatic cancer.