Pancreatic
Cancer
Overview
Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of
your pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies behind the lower part of
your stomach. Your pancreas releases enzymes that aid digestion and produces
hormones that help manage your blood sugar.
Several types of growths can occur in the
pancreas, including cancerous and noncancerous tumors. 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 ductal adenocarcinoma).
Pancreatic cancer is seldom 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.
Pancreatic cancer treatment options are
chosen based on the extent of the cancer. Options may include surgery,
chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of these
Symptoms
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 (jaundice)
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
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you experience any unexplained symptoms that worry you. Many other conditions can cause these symptoms, so your doctor may check for these conditions as well as for pancreatic cancer.
Jan Ricks Jennings, MHA, LFACHE
Senior Consultant
Senior Management Resources, LLC
JanJenningsBlog.Blogspot.com
724.733.0509 Office
412.913.0636 Cell
November 24, 2021
No comments:
Post a Comment