What is Your Risk to Develop Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Over 38,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year. 33,000 of those patients will die despite all forms of treatment. It is a deadly killer. There is no reliable test that will identify this cancer is the beginning stages. So the best treatment is prevention. It is a stated fact that the majority of cancer cases can be prevented with lifestyle and diet. These life style factors also affect your risk for pancreatic cancer.

Symptoms: There are few symptoms experienced in the first stages of the disease. The symptoms that do appear later are symptoms that can occur with other diseases. Early symptoms include upper abdominal complaints, weight loss, and upper back pain. As the disease progresses you many experience nausea, vomiting, jaundice, and dark urine. These advanced symptoms are the stage where the disease is usually diagnosed.

Survival Rate: The survival data rates vary from the different agencies. The survival rate for all stages of pancreatic cancer is less than 5 percent. The one year survival rate for all stages together is 24 percent. If the cancer has metastasized by the time it's diagnosed, the five year survival rate is 2 per cent. The best survival rate is for early-stage diagnosed patients where the tumor is small and still confined to the pancreas only.

Risk Factors:

Age: After the age of 50, your risk for this disease increases. Most cases (80 percent) occur in people aged from 60 to 80.

Gender: Pancreatic cancer is more common in men. Experts attribute this to the fact that more males smoke than women.

Heredity: If your family history includes two or more family members with pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis, your risk factor is multiplied greatly. Pancreatitis is a chronic inflammation of the pancreas.

If you have the BRCA2 gene, p16 or the StK11 gene, your risk is multiplied.

If you have a family history of polyps and colon cancer or breast cancer your risk is greater.

People with Jewish descent have a greater risk for cancer than other ethnic populations. Some Jewish families have an inherited mutation in the BRCA2 breast cancer gene.

Obesity: Obesity gives you a greater risk factor for both diabetes and pancreatic cancer. That is why losing weight is so important to improve both the quality of your life and your longevity.

Diabetes: Diabetes is linked to higher rates of pancreatic cancer. In diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin. Insulin is made in the pancreas. Diabetes is considered by many specialists to be the cause of pancreatic cancer. Diabetes is also often a symptom of pancreatic cancer. Many specialists feel that diabetes that develops in those aged 50 and older is an early sign of pancreatic cancer.

Ulcer Surgery: If you have had a part of your stomach removed, your risk to develop pancreatic cancer increases. They are not sure why at this point.

Race: African- Americans have a greater risk for this cancer than whites. This may have to do with smoking.

Smoking: One of the most important risk factors for this disease. The earlier you began smoking, the higher the risk.

Diet: Patients who follow a diet heavy in meat, fried foods, and nitrosamines have a greater risk for this cancer. The International Journal of Cancer published recent studies that red meat intake increases the risk for this cancer.

Alcohol and Caffeine: At this point, there is no research to show that alcohol or caffeine increase your pancreatic cancer risk. It may be that adequate research has done been on these two life style factors. Alcohol is a risk factor for diabetes and pancreas problems, which contribute to pancreatic cancer. In fact drinking an excess of alcohol is a risk for many cancers, so it would be a good health habit to drink both alcohol and caffeine in moderation.

References:

http://pathology.jhu.edu/pc/BasicIntro.php?area=ba

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pancreatic-cancer/DS00357/DSECTION=symptoms