A few weeks ago, two prominent Hoosiers — shopping mall magnate and Indiana Pacers owner Melvin Simon and former president of the NCAA and Indiana University Myles Brand — both passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. Still, many don’t know a lot about this type of cancer, despite its status as a leading cause of cancer death.
Pancreatic cancer often proves especially challenging to treat because it starts in the pancreas — the large organ located behind the lower part of the stomach that helps with digestion and controlling metabolism — and quickly spreads to other parts of the body.
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer include: upper abdominal and back pain, a jaundiced yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, a loss of appetite, weight loss, and depression.
Often, these symptoms don’t appear until pancreatic cancer is in an advanced stage, making early diagnosis difficult and often eliminating surgical removal of the pancreas as a treatment option. Once diagnosed, physicians treat pancreatic cancer through surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and other targeted drug therapies.
Smoking, obesity, and old age are three common risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Personal or family history of chronic inflammation of the pancreas, pancreatic cancer, or certain genetic syndromes can be additional risk factors. Ethnicity is also a factor as pancreatic cancer occurs more frequently with African-Americans than whites.
Quitting smoking and losing weight by eating a healthy diet and exercise are the best ways to prevent pancreatic cancer.
