Pancreatic Cancer: Life Expectancy, Prevention, and Prognosis

Types of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancers are a group of tumors resulting from the uncontrolled growth of pancreatic cells. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the most common type, accounting for 85% of cases, and the term "pancreatic cancer" often refers to this specific type. It develops in the exocrine cells responsible for producing digestive enzymes, the area where the majority of pancreatic cancers appear. Less common (about 2% of cases), neuroendocrine tumors originate from the endocrine cells of the pancreas, responsible for hormone production.

Spread and Mortality of Pancreatic Cancer

In 2012, pancreatic cancer caused the death of 330,000 people worldwide, a constantly increasing number compared to 310,000 in 2010 and 200,000 in 1990. Although it represents only 2.5% of new cancer cases, it is responsible for 6% of cancer-related deaths each year. Indeed, it is the seventh leading cause of cancer death globally. In women, it ranks 11th among the most frequent cancers and 12th in men. The vast majority of recorded cases occur in developed countries. Although the disease is more frequent in men, this gap has narrowed in recent years.

Recognizing the Signs of Pancreatic Cancer

Early Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

In the early stages of the disease, the patient generally does not present any symptoms, making the disease asymptomatic. This means that no sign or symptom reveals the presence of the disease. However, it is possible that the neoplasm causes non-specific symptoms such as:

malaise
nausea
vomiting
indigestion symptoms

The aforementioned symptoms may be overlooked by the patient, thus making diagnosis difficult at this stage. The tumor may be incidentally discovered during examinations performed for other reasons, such as an ultrasound or abdominal scan. However, if this is not the case, the tumor will continue to progress and will only be diagnosed when the symptoms become more painful and debilitating, thus prompting the patient to consult a doctor. Unfortunately, this often leads to a delay in diagnosis, which is only made at an advanced stage when the tumor has already spread to other parts of the body.

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Late Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

The most common late signs and symptoms of the disease may include:

yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
abdominal pain
back pain
indigestion symptoms
nausea
vomiting
pale stools (hypocholic stools)
feeling of fullness in the abdomen
greasy, foul-smelling stools
constipation
diabetes
dark urine
loss of appetite
unexplained weight loss: due to both loss of appetite and loss of exocrine function resulting in poor digestion
depression
Trousseau's syndrome: characterized by the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels of the portal vein, deep veins of the limbs, or superficial veins of any part of the body (found in 1 in 10 patients with pancreatic cancer).

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Prevention of Pancreatic Cancer

Since the causes of pancreatic tumors are unknown, it is impossible to give absolute prevention advice. It is certainly important to:

avoid exposure to ionizing radiation
avoid smoking cigarettes
maintain a healthy diet
maintain your body weight within normal limits
maintain your blood sugar within acceptable limits
do not underestimate the symptoms listed above, even if mild, in at-risk individuals (in this case, screening is advisable).

Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is diagnosed using various medical imaging techniques such as ultrasound and computed tomography, in addition to blood tests and biopsies (microscopic examination of tissues). However, screening for this disease in the population has not been proven to be an effective means of prevention.

Prognosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Each year, pancreatic cancer causes more than 350,000 deaths worldwide, making it the seventh leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Unfortunately, the prevalence of this cancer is even higher in developed countries. In particular, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the most frequent form, has a rather low survival rate. Only 25% of diagnosed patients survive one year and less than 5% survive five years (approximately 1% for stage 4). For those with inoperable adenocarcinoma, life expectancy is generally less than 5 years, with only 1% of patients reaching this duration.