Pancreatic Cancer Types

Question: What make pancreatic cancer so different from other cancers? From everything that I have read about pancreatic cancer it is uncurable. Breast cancer, leukemia, and other kinds of cancer can be cured/brought into remission and I was wondering what is so different about pancreatic cancer that does not allow this type of cancer to be cured/go into remission?

Answer: Pancreatic cancer can be treated for cure under very specific conditions. It spreads by local invasion and via lymphatic channels. If it is caught early prior to invasion in the local vasculature, it can be treated for cure via several procedures - Whipple (pancreaticoduodenectomy), Total Pancreatectomy, or Distal Pancreatectomy. A major issue is catching it early. The symptoms of this disease early on are usually no symptoms, vague abdominal pain, mild discomfort. It is hard to detect. There is also no good screening that is cost effective. The reason for this is the cancer is not that common, and the tests available are not that cheap. This makes for a very inefficient screening method. The ones out there currently that can detect pancreatic cancer include CT scan of the abdomen and Endoscopic Ultrasound. Both of these tests have their own drawbacks. CT scan of the abdomen involves radiation that may set you up for a cancer. Endoscopic ultrasound requires sedation, a specialist (gastroenterologist), and has risks of perforation. Also the tests need to have a high degree of sensitivity (meaning that there is a high number of people who have the disease also test positive). Endoscopic ultrasound is being used more for symptomatic pancreatic cancer, but I do not know of studies used for screening the general population. Another issue is it's proximity to other organs. It is near the duodenum, stomach, inferior vena cava, aorta. It is also a part of the biliary system and liver. It can spread to many important organs easily. There is some increased hope on the horizon as new chemotherapy drugs are being developed. Dr. Vickers at the University of Minnesota is doing clinical trials on a new medication that will hopefully help with treating the disease.

Question: Has more than one person in your family had pancreatic cancer? My aunt and my brother both died from pancreatic cancer. I'm curious if other families have suffered multiple attacks of this type of cancer. I'm entering a study at Johns Hopkins Hospital that is trying to figure out if it does run in families and I just wanted some feedback.

Answer: Ignore the first two answers. Pancreas cancer is not rare at all, being the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death in the US. It is a terrible disease, with underfunded research. This is largely because nearly all of the prior research has produced little positive results, so the money goes elsewhere it seems. It is not rare for it to run in families, and certain genetic risk factors have been identified . Kudos to you for helping us study this. JH is a fine institution. God bless, best wishes

Question: is pancreatic cancer a bad type of cancer? my nan has been taken into hospital with pancreatic cancer and im not sure what the circumstances are. Also is curable or not?

Answer: I'm very sorry to hear the news about your nan. You might want to ask a very important question of her doctors to have a better understanding of her situation . . . There are four stages of cancer, with Stage Four being the most serious. If you ask your nan's doctor's what stage of pancreatic cancer she is suffering, you will have a clearer picture of the prognosis. Please don't be afraid to ask the doctors questions; they should help you understand the situation. All my best thoughts go to you and your family . . .

Question: Pancreatic Cancer ? My sister was dignosed on 7/20 with this disease. She had the Whipple Surgery, just finished chemo and is starting 5x a week 5 week radiation. I really do not know how to ask this question and not sound weird. She is stage 2.5 she is doing GREAT, no pain, no side effects from the treatment. Everything that I have read, this disease is fatal. The doctor gave her 22 months. I know no one has a crystal ball, but with this type of cancer, is there any pain, when should I have her come live with me to take care of her, I love my sister very much, she feels that Chemo cured her and this state of mind is great, but I am more of a realist and need to know what to expect and how to plan.... Any help or experiences with this cancer will be greatly appreaciated. I guess I am just asking for help with what to do.....

Answer: You are thinking clearly and trying to help - that will be a real blessing in helping your sister. At this point, why not join a pancreatic cancer support group - either on-line or in your city. You don't have to take your sister, but you can learn a lot more about the disease from other families going through it. There are a bunch of them listed on the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance web site along with a lot of other good information. If the cancer spreads, you may need to look into palliative care to help if you take care of her at home. Start checking around your area to see what is available then you will be ready if she needs it. Whatever you do, don't do anything to discourage your sister's attitude. A postitive fighting attitude will go a long way to prolonging her life however much time she has left. Good luck and God bless you for wanting to help your sister this way!

Question: What the chances of recovering from pancreatic cancer? My mother has been inform that she has this type of cancer,and normally it happen to men between the ages of 60 and 80, my mom is 65

Answer: So very ,very sorry to hear about your mom.The truth is we can not live without a pancreas there are some medication that will help for a little while but it will only be temporary.Unless their is some magical new surgery it is not good.I may be the only person that answers this question due to the delicate question and I am sorry to be the Bearer of sad news.Go to the Library and read up on how the Pancreas works and that will help you to understand .You also need to know the signs and symptoms to watch for .You also might want to go with her to the Doctor and let him speak with you about your mom's case.You must find time to spend quality time with her NOW.May God Be WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!!

Question: What type of doctor diagnoses pancreatic cancer?

Answer: an ordinary physician can diagnose it through a regular checkup. however, an oncologist who specializes in cancer would be the best doctor to treat it.

Question: How Long Can Someone Expect To Live With Pancreatic Cancer? I'm planning on writing a book about a girl whose father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I've researched a lot, but the one thing I'm having difficulty with is finding out how long the cancer will take to kill him. I realize that this varies a lot based on health and when it's first detected, but can anyone give me a generalization for how long it could be? Also, what types of diseases would the doctors test him for before they realize what it really is? Thank you so much!

Answer: This isn’t difficult to answer at all and it doesn’t vary all that much. Less than 20% survive the first year. 3% survive 5 years. Nonresectable or stage 4 disease has a median survival of 2-6 months. Doctors don’t really check for diseases. Tests are run based on history, physical exam and symptoms. What these tests tells them either diagnosis the problem or determines what other tests need to be done. Tests would start with a CT and blood tests, followed by an ERCP or an EUS. MRI is not often used for diagnosis. I have never seen this disease diagnosed early unless it is diagnosed by accident and those are the only long term survivors I have seen. Patrick Swayze lived just short of 2 years. He was treated with Cyber Knife which is not widely available.

Question: My uncle died from pancreatic cancer. Does this mean my dad has a good chance of getting it? Recently, I have been doing a fair share of research on cancer. Pancreatic cancer is the scariest of them all, and my uncle died from it, although I had no idea then that it was as serious as it is. I read that people can get familial pancreatic cancer. Does this mean that my dad could get it? He has type 2 diabetes but he goes to his doctor regularly and it seems he has it under control. What are the chances he could get it? What are the chances I could get it? Thanks in advance.

Answer: Cancer is rarely hereditary - fewer than 10% of all cancer cases are. Cancer diagnosed after the age of 50 is even less likely to be hereditary. Pancreatic cancer is no exception; it's thought up to 10% of cases of pancreatic cancer may be due to a rare inherited faulty gene. If your uncle is the only person in your family to have had pancreatic cancer then no, it is extremely unlikely that there is any hereditary factor. A sign that a cancer MAY be hereditary within a family is when several members of the same side of that family have had the SAME type of cancer, especially if some developed it at a younger than usual age. Diabetics may have a slightly increased risk of pancreatic cancer. From the information you have given us, neither you or your father are at increased risk of pancreatic cancer. We don't 'all have the cancer genes in us' as somebody has said here, though that is a common misconception. Cancer occurs when something happens to NORMAL cells; it's caused by normal cells changing so that they grow in an uncontrolled way. The uncontrolled growth causes a tumour to form. If not treated, the tumour can cause problems by invading normal tissues nearby or by causing pressure on other body structures. The idea that we all carry cancerous cells just waiting for something to trigger them is nonsense.

Question: Does smoking cause pancreatic cancer? Someone recently past away from Pancreatic Cancer, not sure for a fact if she smoked or not but I'm just wondering what if a person who never smoked and is still diagnosed with pancreatic cancer? Is it a heredity type of cancer? Or is it just common among people who do smoke?

Answer: Smoking doubles the risk for pancreatic cancer HOWEVER, some people get it who have never smoked. There are other risks that can also raise the risk (chronic pancreatitis, diabetes, poor diet, obesity). I do think genetics can play a role in this as well, as a small percentage of it seems to run in certain families. Being a non-smoker is no guarantee you won't get cancer but it certainly reduces your risks.

Question: I just read that Patrick Swayze has pancreatic cancer--is that a death sentence? I know that some types of cancer are more treatable than others...

Answer: only God knows depends on how soon they found it very hard to cure there

Question: Can Diabetes type 1, result in pancreatic cancer in long run, how is type 1 diabetes caused ?

Answer: I lost my mom in Feb. to this horrible cancer, she never had diabetes and she never developed it while she was sick.

Question: Is anyone else upset that breast cancer is the only publicized awareness month? I'm all for cancer awareness but why is breast cancer the only publicized cancer awareness month? Many people suffer from all types of cancer daily and I've had family suffer from both Leukemia and Pancreatic Cancer. It's seems that if a celebrity is diagnosed with a cancer or has died from a cancer that's the only way awareness will be publicized. Now that Patrick Swayze has passed I'm sure Pancreatic cancer will be well known coming this November (Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month) Does anyone agree?

Answer: No, I don't agree. Breast cancer awareness and Breast Cancer Awareness Month are not high profile because of celebrity deaths, but for a much simpler reason - sheer hard work. Breast cancer awareness campaigns and BC Awareness Month started as a campaign by ordinary women, many of them with cancer, to raise awareness so that people knew the symptoms, examined themselves regularly, attended their routine mammograms etc. Enthusiastic participation and hard work by women made it grow into something nationally, then internationally, recognised (and then big business cashed in). I agree that awareness needs to be raised about other cancers too.and while I hate 'competitive illness' I can see why there is resentment about an imbalance in awareness raising and fund raising. I too have had family members suffer from other cancers - lung, testicular, stomach and cervical cancers and leukaemia, all but one of them dying of their cancers. There are, as you point out, other cancer awareness months, weeks, ribbons etc; but the fact is none has had the sheer hard work put into it that breast cancer awareness has. Now, I've had breast cancer and I personally very much dislike BC Awareness Month - or Pink October as the more cynical of us call it. Support for those with a deadly disease that kills on average 33 women a day in the UK and 112 a day in the US (the only stats I have, I'm not being ethnocentric) has been turned into a marketing opportunity by big business, with around 1% of the cost of specially made pink stuff going to breast cancer charities, the rest into the retailers’ pockets. The pink fluffy stuff infuriates me, and I'm not at all 'tickled pink' by Asda's (Walmart's) trivialisation of an illness that may yet kill me. October magazines carry stories from cheerful survivors who claim to have the all-clear (there is no all-clear with breast cancer), and often say bc has changed their lives for the better - very different from anybody I know who's had breast cancer. And it has negative consequences for breast cancer patients too - I believe that the whole thing is counter-productive, that the marketing and fund-raising hype surrounding breast cancer, by trivialising a deadly disease, is leading people to believe, wrongly, that breast cancer is 1) not very serious, certainly not as serious as many other cancers (many women with breast cancer have been told - by people who don't have it - that it's a 'good' cancer to get) and 2) easily curable. I've even heard it said that it's a ‘fashionable’ or 'sexy' cancer - my sexy prosthesis and sexy scarred, one-breasted body are evidence that it's no such thing. In all the pink trivia, it's easy for people to lose sight of the fact that breast cancer is a devastating illness with disfiguring surgery, grueling treatments and so far no cure. I don't wear a pink ribbon and as someone in remission from breast cancer I support the Think Before You Pink and Pink Stinks! campaigns, both started by women with breast cancer http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/?page_id=13 BUT it does annoy me a little when people complain about the attention breast cancer receives in comparison to other cancers. The solution is not less attention for breast cancer, but more attention for other cancers - and there is nothing to stop any group of people starting a campaign along the lines of the one started ny those women who started all the breast cancer awareness. They'd have to be as dedicated and prepared to work as hard though.

Question: Mangosteen & Pancreatic Cancer - Testimonials? I know some people are skeptical of such notions, and I am aware of the negative press regarding this topic... HOWEVER, I know of someone who claims that mangosteen juice (known for it's anti-tumor properties and also contains 5 naturally-occuring components found in chemotherapy treatments) helped shrink and stop the growth of their tumor. Reading online, I found countless sites that list testimonials from cancer patients who have seen their tumors shrink or even disappear from drinking 32 ounces of 100% mangosteen juice a day. The numbers appear staggering. What I'm looking for is people who have had similar experiences with mangosteen. Not just pancreatic cancer alone, but any type of cancer with positive results after using mangosteen. Thank you in advance for your time and input. No, because the AMA has invested interest in not letting people know of these natural remedies. Think of how their industry would tank if people were made aware of the cures nature intended, rather than ravaging the body with scientific, often dangerous treatments and medications. I have a first hand account that I know of, and I've read about many more...just looking for others who share these experiences.

Answer: Nah, not happening. Don't you think if it cured cancer and shrank tumors, I'd be drinking the hell out of it?

Question: How do you call the medical condition whereby a cancer patient presents symptoms of another type of cancer? How do you call the medical condition whereby a cancer patient presents symptoms of another type of cancer that he does not have (ex. a pancreatic cancer patient with lung cancer symptoms)?

Answer: That is not a condition and there isn’t a name for it. Symptoms help in the diagnosis process. If a patient is seen in the emergency room for example, they may be admitted listing a few to several probable diagnosis based on tests done up to that point.

Question: Does smoking cause other types of cancer besides lung/mouth/esophagus cancers? Can it cause breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc?

Answer: A series of authoritative reports by the U.S. Public Health Service and other international scientific organizations has conclusively documented a causal relationship between cigarette smoking and cancer of at least eight major sites (Shopland et al., 1991). These reports have uniformly identified smoking as a major cause of cancers of the lung, larynx, oral cavity, and esophagus--that is, cigarette smoking is responsible for a majority of the cases and deaths from cancer of these sites. These reports have also demonstrated that smoking substantially elevates the death rates for cancers of the bladder, kidney, and pancreas in both men and women, and, possibly, cervical cancer in women. A number of published reports have suggested an association between smoking and other cancers, including cancer of the stomach, liver, prostate, colon, and rectum.

Question: anybody familiar with pancreatic cancer ? just a few questions because i am having killer back pain when i move around . Also i am only 26 I am having mid back pain with crunching , grinding and popping noises , if back pain is a result of this type of cancer would i be hearing these noises with the pain or would i just feel the pain without the noises . I have had this pain for about 2-3 months and in this time haven't lost any weight at all . Would it be safe to assume that i would have lost weight by now as well if this was pancreatic cancer? My bowel movements are a little odd , just smaller with a weird consistency , for the most part the colour is mostly normal , does that sound like a symptom ? My pee is still very normal . My main concern is the back pain though . If i am still it doesnt bother me . I have been to a doctor and am having a bone scan done on friday . If anyone is a doctor or is very familiar with pancreatic cancer please let me know .

Answer: Knowing the symptoms of pancreatic cancer will help you. Anorexia (loss of appetite, not the disorder), flatulence, weakness, dramatic weight loss, epigastric (above the naval) pain or back pain, jaundice, pruritis (itching), a palapble (feelable) abdominal mass, a recent onset of diabetes and clay-colored stools (this is with pancreatic and biliary duct obstruction). If your only symptoms are mid-back pain and the noises, I think it's safe to assume that you don't have pancreatic cancer. Change positions slowly and carefully to avoid as much pain as you can. Can you account for the change of bowel movements? Anything different about how much or what you've been eating or taking? I'm not too concerned about what I've heard so far. I'd sure like to know what the bone scan results are since I presume that muscle and nerve involvement have both been ruled out and bone scans aren't for diagnosing this type of malignancy. There is something I have in mind but I don't want to give it words just yet.