Every November, we observe Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. While this cancer is rare, only affecting 50,000 people this year, it’s still important to be mindful of its risk factors.
What Is the Pancreas and What Does It Do?
The pancreas is a vital organ in the digestive system. It’s located deep in the abdomen and is and hidden behind some of the digestive system’s main organs like the liver and stomach However, the pancreas is responsible for many important parts of regulating the body’s digestion and fueling the body. The pancreas has two main functions:
- Exocrine function: Produces enzymes to help with digestion. This accounts for almost 95 percent of the pancreas’s function.
- Endocrine function: Produces hormones that help control the body’s blood sugar levels.
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness
While pancreatic cancer is rare, doctors and researchers are still working hard to discover more about advancing the detection, diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. Since the pancreas is hidden so deep inside the body, it’s often difficult to feel pancreatic tumors by pressing on the abdomen. This results in many cases of pancreatic cancer to be diagnosed late.
Pancreatic cancer symptoms often do not appear until the tumor grows large enough to interfere with the functions of the pancreas. The main symptoms of pancreatic cancer include severe pain and jaundice in some cases. There are two main types of pancreatic cancers, which are determined by where the tumor is found.
Exocrine pancreatic tumors
This type of pancreatic cancer is the most common. They affect the exocrine cells, which produce enzymes that help your body digest foods.
Endocrine pancreatic tumors
Endocrine pancreatic tumors are less common, accounting to less 5 percent of pancreatic cancer cases. These tumors affect the endocrine cells, which create hormones like insulin and glucagon, which help manage blood sugar levels and release them into the blood.
Pancreatic Cancer Risk Factors
Researchers are still discovering more information about pancreatic cancer. However, certain factors have been discovered to increase a person’s risk factor for developing this cancer. Learn more about what you can do to reduce your risk.
1. Excessive tobacco use
The risk for pancreatic cancer is twice as high for tobacco users as it is for people who have never smoked. Doctors have determined that around 20 percent of pancreatic cancers resulted from smoking cigarettes. To reduce your risk, doctors recommend you quit smoking.
2. Personal risk factors
People who are obese have an increased risk for developing pancreatic cancer. Also, the risk for pancreatic cancer increase for people over the age of 45. About two-thirds of pancreatic cancer cases occur in people over 65. Men also have a slightly higher risk than women.
3. Family history
Studies show that pancreatic cancer can be passed down in families. This higher risk is due to an inherited syndrome, but they only account for about 10 percent of pancreatic cancer cases.
Learn More at Comprehensive
At Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, we are passionate about increasing our knowledge and understanding of various cancers. That’s why we participate in clinical research to provide our patients with the most effective and advanced care. Learn more about pancreatic cancer by visiting our website today. To schedule an appointment at one of our cancer treatment centers, call 702-952-3350.
