Pancreatic Cancer – New Treatment, Causes And Symptoms

As reported, legendary singer Aretha Franklin is infected with Pancreatic cancer.

The singer is 68 years old and recently had been reported undergoing a secret surgery. Considering her age, height and weight doctors have declared that chances of cure are very less. According to statistics in United States 43,140 people are affected by this cancer and 36,800 victims die every year. In India 37,000 people are affected and 34,000 people die of this cancer. The survival rate of this form of cancer is 5%.

This Cancer is the formation of cancer cells on the pancreas. He pancreas is an organ which is location behind the stomach. It is composed of glands and are classified into two categories – Exocrine and Endocrine. Exocrine is responsible for digestion and Endocrine is responsible for secreting insulin into the blood stream.

It is the abnormal cell growth, which begins in the Pancreas. These abnormal cell growth forms lumps of tissues which are called tumours. These tumors then hinder the functioning of the Pancreas. If the tumour stick to a certain part it is called benign and if it spreads along other organs it is called malignant. Malignant tumours grow on other parts of the body, slowly destroying the whole working of the body. This process is called metastasis.

Causes of Pancreatic Cancer

The cause of Pancreatic cancer has still not be officially declared but it is believed that continuous torture with the body with the food we intake and improper lifestyle plays a great role. Here are some of the causes -

1.Smoking
2.Alcohol consumption
3.Advanced age
4.Chronic Indigestion
5.Diabetes
6.Hereditary

Symptom Of Pancreatic Cancer

The symptoms show only on the third stage. The symptoms include -

1.Abdominal pain
2.Yellowish skin
3.Sudden weight loss
4.Depression
5.Blood Clots

The symptoms of Pancreatic cancer is often misunderstood as the symptoms of some other serious health disorder.

New Treatment For Pancreatic Cancer

Oncologist J.Marc Pipas, a researchers from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center has found a new treatment for this kind of Cancer. The therapy aims at reducing the size of the tumour and then remove it with the help of a surgery. Reducing the size of the tumour was a huge help to operate the inoperable tumour. The size of the tumour is reduced with the help of radiation and chemotherapy. This treatment for Pancreatic tumour has the ability to reduces almost 50% of the tumour. The treatment has been provided to patients in the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. For one of the patients more than half of the tumour shrank and for another patient the tumour disappeared completely.

source: living.oneindia.in