Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Pancreatic cancer affects the tissues of the pancreas, an organ that releases enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate blood sugar levels. The pancreas is located in the abdomen, horizontally behind the stomach. Although it is really very difficult to detect pancreatic cancer in its early stages, people with a family history of pancreatic cancer or those having a cyst in the pancreas may get their pancreatic cancer detected early through some screenings. One of the most common signs of pancreatic cancer is diabetes, accompanied by jaundice, weight loss, or pain in the upper abdomen that gradually spreads to the back.

Although the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer do not show up noticeably in its early stages, loss of appetite, depression, blood clots, and fatigue are a few other symptoms of pancreatic cancer. Fortunately, it can be treated with radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, or a combination of these if detected in an early stage.

Pancreatic Cancer Treatment by Stages

In order to chart out the best course of treatment, the oncologist or the doctor will first recommend some tests to determine the type of cancer, the stage of cancer, and which parts of the pancreas are affected. Besides these, age, general health, and fitness are also taken into consideration when planning a course of treatment.

The TNM type of staging system of cancer is used to determine how far the cancer has advanced into the organs. However, the most common type of pancreatic stages timeline that uses numbers to indicate the stages is presented below:

Stage 1: Stage 1 of pancreatic cancer is the earliest stage, where the cancer is still contained within the pancreas and is known as the localised or resectable pancreatic cancer. Stage 1 is further divided into two stages as follows:

Stage 1A: When the size of the cancer is smaller than 2 cm
Stage 1B: When the size of the cancer is larger than 2 cm but is still contained within the pancreas.

Stage 2: Stage 2 of pancreatic cancer is when cancer starts to spread into the duodenum, bile duct or tissues around the pancreas, or it spreads into the lymph nodes near the pancreas. It may be possible to remove this type of cancer depending on the growth of the cancer cells. Its sub-stages are:

Stage 2A: When the size of the cancer is larger than 4 cm and has grown outside the pancreas, but has not affected the lymph nodes yet
Stage 2B: Cancer in this stage spreads to the lymph nodes as well

Stage 3: Stage 3 of pancreatic cancer is when cancer spreads further into nearby organs such as the stomach, spleen, the large intestine or into the nearby large blood vessels. This stage is usually of the locally advanced or the unresectable stage of pancreatic cancer.

However, in some cases, cancer may be borderline resectable depending upon the parts of the organs or the blood vessels that are affected. Even if surgery is ruled out as an option, chemotherapy, radiation, chemo-radiotherapy, etc., are used to control the growth of the cancer cells and help with the symptoms.

Stage 4: Stage 4 of pancreatic cancer is usually considered the final and most critical stage of pancreatic cancer, where the cancer finally spreads to other body parts such as the lungs, liver, or peritoneum. This stage is also known as the advanced or metastatic stage of pancreatic cancer. In this stage, it is impossible to cure cancer; therefore, surgery is ruled out as a treatment option.

However, chemotherapy can still be used to control the further growth of the cancerous cells. Among the many treatment options for pancreatic cancer, listed below are a few common and effective ones.

A Whipple Procedure or a surgery may be used to resect or remove cancer entirely. Other types of surgery options and procedures, such as inserting a stent or performing a bypass surgery, can be performed to help relieve the patients of a few symptoms
Chemotherapy may be used before or after surgery to remove cancer. In cases where the complete removal of the cancer is not possible, chemotherapy is used to control the growth of the cancer cells
Radiotherapy is also used in place of chemotherapy or at times along with chemotherapy to help relieve the patients of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer. It is usually used after surgery to remove cancer, and sometimes before surgery.
Some patients are suitable candidates for clinical trials. Clinical trials are medical research studies in which a course of treatment is tested in patients.

Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Cost Comparison

The treatment and prognosis of pancreatic cancer directly depend on the location and the size of the tumor. Pancreatic cancer treatment costs are also directly based on factors such as the stage of cancer, the volume of diagnostic procedures, the treatment method, and the clinic where the treatment takes place. In the current global medical landscape, pancreatic cancer treatment options are available in countries such as India, Turkey, Singapore, etc. Below is a treatment comparison for various countries:

Country	Cost
United Kingdom	USD 35000
Turkey	USD 20000
Spain	USD 75094
United States	USD 134682
Singapore	USD 50000

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Among those diagnosed, survival is limited to a maximum of 5 years. To raise awareness of pancreatic cancer, its treatment, and symptoms, the month of November is observed as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and the 20th of November is observed as World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Some interesting pancreatic cancer common facts are listed below to spread awareness among the people about this medical issue:

Although survival rates have gone up for most types cancers over the last 40 years, there have been no improvements in the survival rate of pancreatic cancer whatsoever.
If a patient is diagnosed early, the chance of survival for 5 years or more increases 10-fold.
Pancreatic cancer has always been inadequately funded and has received less than 2 per cent of the overall cancer research funding that is available.
Pancreatic cancer is the twelfth most common type of cancer in the world, yet with the lowest survival rate due to under-research.
Pancreatic cancer is the 7th most common cause of death all across the globe.
It is most common in the developed countries.
Pancreatic cancer can affect both men and women equally.
Pancreatic cancer is almost always diagnosed too late, and the survival rates are so low.
The death rates for pancreatic cancer are gradually increasing over the years, while for most other types of cancers they are declining.

Conclusion

Pancreatic cancer has long been viewed as one of the most difficult of all types of cancer because of late detection and poor prognosis rates. Increasing public awareness of pancreatic cancer's symptoms, preventive measures, and early diagnosis is essential if we are going to improve patient outcomes. Treatments to manage pancreatic cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Timely intervention also contributes significantly to patient outcomes. Better funding for research into pancreatic cancer, initiatives that increase public awareness of pancreatic cancer, and routine health checks could greatly increase early detection and improve patient's chances of survival.