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Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreas lies deep within the abdomen and secrete enzymes that are vital to digestion. Hormones secreted by the pancreas aid in maintaining sugar levels in the body. Pancreatic cancer is a condition where there is a malignant tumor, mostly found in the exocrine portion of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer is not easily detectable in the early stages. Besides, it spreads rapidly and can metastasize to other organs such as bile duct, duodenum (small intestine), spleen, colon, adrenal gland, kidney, or vertebra.

Typical symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and weight loss. The patient is likely to suffer from back pain and complain of tiredness and fatigue. Pancreatic cancer may result in blood clots and liver dysfunction. The abdominal pain associated with pancreatic cancer is likely to radiate to the upper and middle back. There may be yellowing of the skin since most persons suffering from cancer of the pancreas tend to develop jaundice. In advanced stages of pancreatic cancer, there is considerable accummulation of bile acids in the skin leading to severe itching.

Some peope have a heriditary genetic predisposition to cancer while there are certain factors that increase the likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer.

High fat diet consisting largely of animal fat and lesser vegetables and fruits

Smoking

Obesity

Sedentary lifestyle

Blood test for serum bilirubin will show high bile pigment. Abdominal ultrasound and abdominal MRI aids in diagnosing the extent of tumor in the pancreas. ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancretography) is a procedure that allows a physician to observe the common bile duct and pancreatic ducts. A pancreatic biopsy can help understand the kind of tumor in the pancreas. Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure) involves surgical removal of the pancreatic tumor. This surgical procedure is conducted on patients whose tumors are located in the head of the pancreas or regions adjacent to it. Surgery may involve remove a section or the entire pancreas. A combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy is given to those patients whose tumor is not removed.

Jaundice

Bilirubin is the residual element in the blood after the hemoglobin is removed. Normally the liver removes this bilirubin from the blood and it passes out through the feces. When the body has too much bilirubin, the resulting condition is called jaundice. Excess bilirubin starts circulating within the body leading to yellowing of skin and whites of the eyes. Jaundice is caused either due to inflammation of the liver or due to an obstruction in the bile duct. Other possible causes of jaundice are pancreatic cancer and cirrhosis. A patient suffering from jaundice has pale stools, dark urine and nausea.

Jaundice is determined by measuring the level of bilirubin in the blood. ALT blood test or AST blood tests help in determining this. Ultrasonography or CT scan of the liver, pancreas and bile ducts can help in identifying the cause of jaundice.

Abdominal MRI

Abdominal MRI is used to detect any abdominal growths. It is a non-invasive procedure that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to produce pictures of the inside of the abdomen. Abdominal MRI can distinguish tumors and other lesions from normal tissues. It also provides information to determine the size, extent and spread of abdominal tumors. For patients who cannot receive iodinated contrast dye and in whom angiography has to be avoided, abdominal MRI is used. Abdominal MRI reveals several of disorders that includes renal vein thrombosis, renal arterial obstruction, kidney enlargement, inflammation of the kidney, acute tubular necrosis, tissue damage in kidneys, pancreatic cancer, adrenal masses, mass of the gall bladder, obstruction in liver, enlarged spleen, distended gall bladder or bile duct, abscess, hemangiomas and other abnormal abdominal conditions