PANCREATIC CANCER; CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, AND TREATMENTS

The pancreas is an organ in your abdomen that lies behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas releases enzymes that aid digestion and produce hormones that help manage your blood sugar.

Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of the pancreas. The most common type of cancer that forms in the pancreas begins in the cells that line the ducts that carry digestive enzymes out of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer is rarely detected at its early stages when it's most curable. This is because it often doesn't cause symptoms until after it has spread to other organs.

When cells in your pancreas experience DNA changes, pancreatic cancer develops. The instructions that inform a cell what to do are contained in its DNA. The cells are instructed by these mutations to grow uncontrollably and to live on after normal cells would die. A tumor may form from these cells as they collect. Pancreatic cancer cells can spread to surrounding organs, blood vessels, and far-off parts of the body if they aren't treated.

It's not clear what causes pancreatic cancer. Doctors have identified some factors that may increase the risk of this type of cancer, including smoking and having certain inherited gene mutations.

Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer often don't occur until the disease is advanced. They may include- Abdominal pain that radiates to your back, Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss, Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes, Light-colored stools, Dark-colored urine, Itchy skin, New diagnosis of diabetes or existing diabetes that's becoming more difficult to control, Blood clots, Fatigue.

Treatment for pancreatic cancer depends on the stage and location of cancer as well as on overall health and personal preferences. Treatment may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of these. When pancreatic cancer is advanced and these treatments aren't likely to offer a benefit, the doctor will focus on palliative care.