Authored by: BobbieJo Paul, FNP, ATI Active Care
As we leave the month of October, we’ll be seeing a change from pink to purple in support of pancreatic cancer month.
Our pancreas is an organ found in the abdomen of the body between the stomach and the spine. It helps produce insulin to regulate blood sugar and it makes digestive juices to help break down food.
When this cancer strikes, it is usually found in later stages and the survival rates are not as good as other cancer diagnoses. Pancreatic cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer death, but the 11th most common cancer, with only about 5 percent of people diagnosed surviving five years, and most dying within a year of diagnosis. Unfortunately, there are no early noticeable signs of pancreatic cancer, so it is often found in an advanced stage when treatment is administered to usually just help extend life. Typical symptoms for pancreatic cancer are weight loss, back or abdomen pain, a yellowing of the skin called jaundice and fatigue.
Since symptoms are non-specific and late in the growth and spread of the disease, finding this cancer early is difficult, so it is important to know risk factors for this cancer.
- Identified risks: smoking, overweight, history of diabetes or chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas that does not improve or worsens with time) and having family history of pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis.
- Hereditary conditions: multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome, hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer, von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome and familial atypical multiple mole melanoma syndrome.
Tests to check for this cancer may include blood work and scans such as a CT, MRI, PET scan or ultrasound. To determine if a found tumor is cancer a biopsy will be performed. If cancer is found, treatment for pancreatic cancer can include surgery and chemotherapy.
Since there is no screening for this cancer, it is important to have a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight. Know your risk factors and see your health care provider for symptoms that are not normal and persist.
ATI Active Care is a walk-in clinic, located in Waukesha, WI, that provides immediate care for non-emergency acute conditions, physicals, health screenings, preventive health and wellness programs. For more information contact BobbieJo Paul at bobbiejopaul@activatehealthcare.com or call (262) 574-2711.