5-year survival rate 16% pancreatic cancer, if there is a 'OOO', regular check-up is required
Dec 09, 2024
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Pancreatic cancer has such a low survival rate because early detection is not easy due to the location of the pancreas. It is usually found in stage 3 to stage 4. Professor Lee Tae-yoon of the Department of Gastric Pancreatic Surgery at the Catholic University of Korea's Incheon St. Mary's Hospital said, `More than half of gastric or colon cancers are detected in the first and second stages, but most pancreatic cancers are detected in the third and fourth stages because of the location of the organs"It is difficult to confirm with abdominal endoscopy or ultrasound performed in general general checkups, and in particular, the body and tail of the pancreas are often impossible to observe with the air of the stomach. It is not well found even by blood tests."
◇ Difficult to detect with general checkups, mostly in the 3rd and 4th stages
The pancreatic pancreas is a long, thin organ about 15 cm long, located deep in the body, behind the stomach. It is connected to the duodenum, bile duct, and adjacent to the spleen. It is also called 'Izza'. It plays a role in secreting pancreatic fluid involved in digestion and insulin, a hormone important for blood sugar control. Histologically, it is divided into exocrine glands and endocrine glands, and about 85% of pancreatic cancer occurs in the pancreatic duct called the exocrine glands.
The problem is that the pancreas has no symptoms until about 80% of it is broken. When symptoms appear, abdominal pain and weight loss appear in most pancreatic cancer patients. Pain is most common in the solar plexus, but it can appear on either side of the abdomen. However, when pain appears, it is often a sign that cancer has already infiltrated around the pancreas. The prognosis is worse than when there is no pain.
Professor Lee Tae-yoon explained, `Pancreatic cancer is usually found while being treated according to symptoms due to indigestion or pain near the tip of the solar plexus, and sometimes pancreatic cancer is found only after taking a computed tomography (CT) while taking back pain medicine for a long time due to pain in the back and back.'
◇Causes, Genetic/Environmental Impact Large...18 times the incidence of family history
The number of pancreatic cancer patients in Korea is steadily increasing. The number of people treated for pancreatic cancer last year (2023) was 28,555, an increase of 34.6% over the past four years from 21,219 in 2019. The ratio of men and women is 1.5 to 1, which is higher among men, and the incidence rate starts to increase from those over 50 years old, and when they reach the age of 70, the prevalence rate is about 1 per 1,000 people.
The cause of pancreatic cancer is not yet clear. However, it is estimated that genetic and environmental factors are involved together. Among the genetic factors, the abnormality of the gene K-Ras is particularly important.
Modifications of this gene are found in more than 70 to 90% of pancreatic cancers. Some studies show that the incidence rate rises up to 18 times if you have a family history. Environmental factors include eating habits, smoking, chronic pancreatitis, age, and drinking.
Meat and fatty eating habits are known to double the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Smoking is also closely related to the occurrence of pancreatic cancer. Smokers have a two to three times higher relative risk of pancreatic cancer. In the case of chronic pancreatitis, the risk of pancreatic cancer increases by about 15 times.
Symptoms include nonspecific symptoms seen in other pancreatic diseases, such as abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, and jaundice. Abdominal pain and weight loss appear in most cases, and about 80% of cases of pancreatic head show jaundice symptoms. When cancer occurs in the torso or tail of the pancreas, there are few initial symptoms, and it is often detected after a long time. As the tumor grows, it blocks the passage of digestive fluid (pancreatic fluid and bile) that flows to the duodenum, causing problems with fat digestion.
Professor Lee Tae-yoon said "When pancreatic cancer occurs, diabetes like never before, or existing diabetes worsens, and pancreatitis symptoms are also the cause of pancreatic cancer, but pancreatitis is often secondary to pancreatic cancer."
◇The only surgery to cure...If you have a family history, you must have a regular checkup
If pancreatic cancer is suspected, ultrasound, abdominal computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), proton emission tomography (PET), serum tumor marker, laparoscopy, and biopsy are performed.
To date, surgery is the only treatment that can cure pancreatic cancer. When surgery is not possible or adjuvant treatment is required after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are performed. Treatment is chosen among surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy in consideration of the size and location of the cancer, stage, age and health condition of the patient.
60% of pancreatic cancer occurs in the head of the pancreas, and in this case, pancreatic duodenal resection is performed to resect the duodenum, biliary tract, and gallbladder connected to the head of the pancreas. When cancer occurs in the torso and tail, pancreatic uncinate resection is performed in which the spleen is cut together. However, it is known that only about 10% of pancreatic cancer patients can undergo surgery at the time of diagnosis.
Professor Lee Tae-yoon said "Pancreatic cancer has a very poor prognosis compared to other cancers. Therefore, those with pancreatic cancer risk factors, that is, if they have a family history of pancreatic cancer or are elderly, smokers, diabetes, or chronic pancreatitis, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations such as ultrasound and abdominal CT. "
"As the number of patients who can operate due to early detection of pancreatic cancer through examination has increased, the perception that pancreatic cancer is no longer a disease that dies when caught, but a disease that is treated with medical staff is spreading. "Additionally, with the development of pancreatic cancer treatment, even locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients can expect to improve their survival rate through surgery after chemotherapy, and various approaches such as laparoscopy, laparoscopy, and robotic surgery can be taken depending on the patient's condition."," he added.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
