Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 7
Understanding
the signs, risks
and challenges
of one of the
toughest
cancers
The pancreas may be
small and largely hidden
from view, but it plays an
essential role in keeping
the body functioning.
Located deep in the
upper abdomen, behind
the stomach, this gland
produces enzymes that
help digest food and
hormones, including
insulin, that help regulate
blood sugar.
Pancreatic cancer
begins when cells within
the pancreas become
abnormal, multiply
uncontrollably and form
a malignant tumour. It
can develop in any part
of the organ, although
approximately 70% of
pancreatic cancers are
found in the head of
the pancreas.
What makes pancreatic
cancer particularly
challenging is that early
disease often causes
few, if any, noticeable
symptoms. By the time
symptoms appear, the
cancer may have grown
considerably or spread
to other parts of the body.
The disease in numbers
Pankind reports that
approximately 412
people are diagnosed
with pancreatic cancer
worldwide each day.
The global burden is
increasing, placing
greater importance on
research into earlier
diagnosis and more
effective treatment.
Survival outcomes are
strongly in昀氀uenced by
how early the disease is
found. Only around 10%
of pancreatic cancers
are diagnosed before
they have spread. When
detected early, however,
long term survival can be
approximately 10 times
higher than when the
cancer has already
spread to distant parts
of the body.
Two main types
More than 95% of
pancreatic cancers
are exocrine tumours.
These begin in the
cells that produce
digestive enzymes,
with pancreatic ductal
adenocarcinoma being
the most common form.
Approximately 5% are
pancreatic neuroendocrine
tumours, or PNETs. These
begin in the hormone
producing cells of the
pancreas and generally
behave differently from
exocrine cancers. They may
also have a more favourable
outlook, depending on the
tumour’s type, stage and
individual characteristics.
Identifying the precise type
and location of the cancer
is important because
treatment approaches can
differ considerably.
