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Pancreatic cancer, this type of cancer ;originates in the pancreas, the organ that lies behind the lower portion of your stomach. Abnormal cells start to grow and divide to form tumours. Over time, the disease may spread to other parts or organs of the body, making it hard to treat.

Knowing all about pancreatic cancer will give you an idea of the signs and risks of the disease. Here are a few facts you probably never knew about this grave illness:



Cancer of the pancreas ranks twelfth in the list of most common cancers across the world


Pancreatic cancer is the seventh most common cause of death worldwide


Pancreatic cancer affects women and men alike


The more you age, the more you are at risk of developing pancreatic cancer. About 90% of people living with this type of cancer are over 55 years of age. The average age of patients is 72 years when the cancer is detected


People who are in the habit of ;smoking regularly for a long period are prone to pancreatic cancer. Studies claim that at least three out of ten such cases are caused by smoking and tobacco use.


Lack of physical activity and ;obesity are the most common factors that put you at risk of pancreatic cancer


Pancreatic cancer signs can be vague, depending on the site of occurrence of the tumour whether it is present in the tail, body, or head of the pancreas


Pancreatic cancer symptoms include yellowing of the eyes and skin (like in the case of jaundice), abdominal pain, fatigue, digestive problems, and unexplained weight loss.


Physical examination, as well as imaging tests like mri and ct scans, are used to diagnose the ailment


Among all types of cancer, pancreatic cancer has the lowest rate of survival only 3-6% of people diagnosed early survive for about five years


Studies show that keeping your body weight in check and abstaining from alcohol and smoking reduces one s risk of developing cancer of the pancreas


Usually, this type of cancer is diagnosed in the later stages with about 80% of the patients having a terminal illness with an average life expectancy of 4-6 months


Although the rate of survival for other forms of cancer may have improved over the years, the same cannot be said about pancreatic cancer



Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive and fatal form of cancer. It often spreads without revealing symptoms, which makes diagnosis difficult. However, if detected early, there are ways to treat the disease.

Treatment of pancreatic cancer mainly involves chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. Which line of treatment would suit your condition best, depends on your health, the prognosis of the disease, and your doctor s opinion.

Pancreas are a small, but a pretty important part of a person s digestive system. So when it needs to be removed, the reason has got to be quite serious, to say the least, doesn t it? The procedure is known formally as pancreatectomy and it is most often required for people who are suffering from cancer of the pancreas. Ideally, these people would only need the cancerous tumours removed, but things are not always this simple. As a matter of fact, only a little more than a tenth of the people who have pancreatic cancer can have the tumour alone removed. As a result, most need to go for a pancreatectomy, which involves removing the entire pancreas. Whether the pancreas can be kept is usually related to how soon the cancer was detected, with people who have done so in time being a majority of the 10% of people with pancreatic cancer who have not needed pancreatectomies.

If a person does not have cancer, the reason he or she may need a pancreatectomy due to an accident which has injured the area significantly badly. In this case, a procedure which is known as a partial pancreatectomy is carried out on the patient. The good news is that the success rate of this sort of operation is generally quite high and the long-term effects on the body are nil. This is the case in spite of a lot of the normal tissue of the pancreas being removed, pretty amazing, isn t it?

While it may be called a pancreatectomy, it does not always mean that the pancreas is the only thing that is removed. In fact, in a lot of pancreatectomies, the surgeons also remove other parts of the digestive system which are usually the common bile duct, the spleen and the gallbladder.

There is, of course, the case of chronic pancreatitis, which occurs when the organ just swells up repeatedly. The repeated swelling leads to permanent damage to it, which affects the rest of the body, too. In most cases, the cause of this happens to be a sustained addiction to alcohol. When this is the case, it is really hard to perform a pancreatectomy and the utility of the pancreas is greatly reduced. Not a good situation to be in, under any circumstances, at all!

A pancreatectomy is a process which nobody would voluntarily wish to undergo, but there are advantages to knowing what it is, in any case!

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive form of cancer. The disease shows no early symptoms and often spreads to other organs long before it is properly diagnosed. Due to such poor prognosis, only around 6% of the pancreatic cancer patients are healthy and alive 5 years after the first diagnosis.

One of the most common surgeries to remove tumours from the pancreas is Pancreaticoduodenectomy, that is commonly called Whipples surgery. The primary aim of the procedure is to cure cancers or disorders that are identified in the pancreas, bile duct or the duodenum. Here, the tumour is removed to prevent it from spreading to other organs, thus improving the life expectancy of the patient.

Whipple's Procedure

Before the surgery, an intravenous line will be injected to your arm, to provide you with the necessary medication. Medicines may be passed through this line to soothe your nerves. A spinal injection or an epidural catheter may be placed. This helps you to recover painlessly after the surgery.

The surgery can be carried out in different ways

Open surgery

Here, the surgeon makes a small incision in your abdomen to access the pancreas and other organs. This is the most common method. This is a complicated operation where the tip of the pancreas, the gallbladder, the bile duct and the initial portion of the small intestine are removed. It is performed to treat cancers that are present on the head of the pancreas.

Laparoscopic surgery

Here several small incisions are made in your abdomen to insert a camera that transmits the live video of the abdomen to a monitor. According to the live feed, the surgeon performs the operation by using surgical tools. It is a common form of minimally invasive surgery.

Robotic operation

This is another type of minimally invasive surgery where the surgical tools are attached to a special robot. Here, the doctor uses a console to control the robot to perform the surgery. This is used because surgical robots can reach and operate in spaces and corners where the human hands may not reach during surgery.

The Whipples surgery can take 4 to 12 hours depending upon the approach being used and the complexity of the process. During the surgery, you will be given general anaesthesia, so you will be asleep.

In some cases, a part of your stomach or nearby lymph nodes may be removed to treat the cancer growths. After the process, the doctor will reconnect the other organs so that you can digest food normally.

After the procedure, you may face problems while emptying your bowels. The condition improves around 7 to 10 days after the surgery. Most patients are able to return back to their normal life usually around 6 weeks after the procedure.

It is recommended that you follow the doctor s instructions after the surgery and stick to the diet prescribed. Additionally, keep the incision protected from sunlight and remove the bandages only after consulting the doctors.

The pancreas has an important role in the body. It releases enzymes for digestion and hormones for managing blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer hampers these functions and starts to affect the health of the patient even before cancer spreads to nearby organs. However, the real concern with pancreatic cancer lies in its rapid spread. In fact, it typically spreads to nearby organs quite fast. Moreover, it is quite difficult to detect it in the early stages.

Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer-

Jaundice: Jaundice symptoms like yellowing of skin and eyes may appear in the primary stages of cancer if it begins near the common bile duct. However, if it begins at the opposite end, it would manifest only in the advanced stages. Pancreatic cancer spreading to the liver can also cause jaundice.

Back or Belly Pain: Back pain or abdominal pain is common in patients suffering from pancreatic cancer. The cancerous part of the pancreas can grow large and start impinging upon the nearby organs. This causes pain. If cancer spreads to surrounding nerves it may also cause pain.

Weight loss: Weight loss accompanied by poor appetite is a very common symptom of pancreatic cancer.

Nausea and Vomiting: If cancer spreads to the stomach, it can create a partial blockade for food resulting in nausea and vomiting.

Liver Enlargement: Pancreatic cancer may lead to enlargement of the liver if cancer has spread to that organ. The doctor can detect an enlargement by palpating the edge of the liver.

Indeed, there may also be other symptoms of pancreatic cancer, but none of these is definitive. In fact, by the time the symptoms begin cancer might have spread far and wide. However, for the fortunate one, pain or jaundice symptoms may start early. In their case, treatment can be started early.

Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer-
Though pancreatic cancer is hard to cure, a complex surgical procedure known as the Whipple procedure can extend the life of patients significantly. It is also called as Pancreaticoduodenectomy. In this procedure, doctors remove the wide part of pancreas lying adjacent to the duodenum. However, it is not only the pancreas portion that is removed, but other parts like the duodenum, the gallbladder, a part of the bile duct, and also a part of the stomach is also removed. After the surgery, the surgeon reconnects the rest of the intestine, bile duct, and the pancreas.

Who Can Undergo Surgery for Pancreatic Surgery?
Everybody is not fit for pancreatic surgery. It is estimated that just about 20% of patients can undergo this procedure. In most of these patients, cancer has not yet spread to major blood vessels and organs like lungs, liver, stomach, etc. To identify candidates for this procedure, doctors may even resort to testing. Among those eligible for the Whipple procedure, some can undergo laparoscopic procedure while others may need to go through an open procedure.

The pancreas has an important role in the body. It releases enzymes for digestion and hormones for managing blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer hampers these functions and starts to affect the health of the patient even before cancer spreads to nearby organs. However, the real concern with pancreatic cancer lies in its rapid spread. In fact, it typically spreads to nearby organs quite fast. Moreover, it is quite difficult to detect it in the early stages.

Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer-

Jaundice: Jaundice symptoms like yellowing of skin and eyes may appear in the primary stages of cancer if it begins near the common bile duct. However, if it begins at the opposite end, it would manifest only in the advanced stages. Pancreatic cancer spreading to the liver can also cause jaundice.

Back or Belly Pain: Back pain or abdominal pain is common in patients suffering from pancreatic cancer. The cancerous part of the pancreas can grow large and start impinging upon the nearby organs. This causes pain. If cancer spreads to surrounding nerves it may also cause pain.

Weight loss: Weight loss accompanied by poor appetite is a very common symptom of pancreatic cancer.

Nausea and Vomiting: If cancer spreads to the stomach, it can create a partial blockade for food resulting in nausea and vomiting.

Liver Enlargement: Pancreatic cancer may lead to enlargement of the liver if cancer has spread to that organ. The doctor can detect an enlargement by palpating the edge of the liver.

Indeed, there may also be other symptoms of pancreatic cancer, but none of these is definitive. In fact, by the time the symptoms begin cancer might have spread far and wide. However, for the fortunate one, pain or jaundice symptoms may start early. In their case, treatment can be started early.

Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer-
Though pancreatic cancer is hard to cure, a complex surgical procedure known as the Whipple procedure can extend the life of patients significantly. It is also called as Pancreaticoduodenectomy. In this procedure, doctors remove the wide part of pancreas lying adjacent to the duodenum. However, it is not only the pancreas portion that is removed, but other parts like the duodenum, the gallbladder, a part of the bile duct, and also a part of the stomach is also removed. After the surgery, the surgeon reconnects the rest of the intestine, bile duct, and the pancreas.

Who Can Undergo Surgery for Pancreatic Surgery?
Everybody is not fit for pancreatic surgery. It is estimated that just about 20% of patients can undergo this procedure. In most of these patients, cancer has not yet spread to major blood vessels and organs like lungs, liver, stomach, etc. To identify candidates for this procedure, doctors may even resort to testing. Among those eligible for the Whipple procedure, some can undergo laparoscopic procedure while others may need to go through an open procedure.

The pancreas is a small, but a pretty important part of a person s digestive system. So when it needs to be removed, the reason has got to be quite serious, to say the least, doesn t it? The procedure is known formally as pancreatectomy and it is most often required for people who are suffering from cancer of the pancreas. Ideally, these people would only need the cancerous tumours removed, but things are not always this simple. As a matter of fact, only a little more than a tenth of the people who have pancreatic cancer can have a tumour alone removed. As a result, most need to go for a pancreatectomy, which involves removing the entire pancreas. Whether the pancreas can be kept is usually related to how soon the cancer was detected, with people who have done so in time being a majority of the 10% of people with pancreatic cancer who have not needed pancreatectomies.

If a person does not have cancer, the reason he or she may need a pancreatectomy due to an accident which has injured the area significantly badly. In this case, a procedure which is known as a partial pancreatectomy is carried out on the patient. The good news is that the success rate of this sort of operation is generally quite high and the long-term effects on the body are nil. This is the case in spite of a lot of the normal tissue of the pancreas being removed, pretty amazing, isn t it?

While it may be called a pancreatectomy, it does not always mean that the pancreas is the only thing that is removed. In fact, in a lot of pancreatectomies, the surgeons also remove other parts of the digestive system which are usually the common bile duct, the spleen and the gallbladder.

There is, of course, the case of chronic pancreatitis, which occurs when the organ just swells up repeatedly. The repeated swelling leads to permanent damage to it, which affects the rest of the body, too. In most cases, the cause of this happens to be a sustained addiction to alcohol. When this is the case, it is really hard to perform a pancreatectomy and the utility of the pancreas is greatly reduced. Not a good situation to be in, under any circumstances, at all!

A pancreatectomy is a process which nobody would voluntarily wish to undergo, but there are advantages to knowing what it is, in any case!

The pancreas is the organ behind the lower part of the stomach. Its main role in your body is to produce enzymes and hormones to control digestion and blood glucose level. Pancreatic cancer occurs when a mass of abnormal cells grow, divide and spread to form a tumour.

Types of pancreatic cancer-

Exocrine - The cancer forms in the ducts of the pancreas; this is the most common form.
Endocrine - These are the rare type. It is benign which means the tumours do not spread to other locations of the body.

Symptoms to watch out for-

Pain in the back
Loss of appetite
Loss of weight
Nausea or fatigue
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin, eyes or both)
Changes in stool
Swelling of the pancreas
Fluid in the abdomen
Blood clot

Risk factors for pancreatic cancer-

Genetic - It can happen if you have an inherited gene associated with pancreatic cancer. It can be inherited from your parents or any first-degree relatives. Pancreatic cancer is more likely if two or more of your first-degree relatives are inflicted and/or if they got it before age of 50.
Environment - It can happen due to alteration of your genes because of harmful agents like tobacco
Other prior health issues - Obese and diabetic patients have a higher chance of acquiring pancreatic cancer

Treatment of the disease-

If you have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, your doctor will most likely choose one of the following treatment procedures-

Surgery - The most common type of surgery for this condition is the Whipple surgery. In this procedure, the wider part of the pancreas located next to the duodenum is removed. The surgeon may also remove the duodenum, the gallbladder, and a portion of your stomach. Afterwards, he/she will reconnect the pancreas, the bile duct, and the remaining healthy portion of the small intestine.

Chemotherapy - Chemotherapy is recommended after surgery in case cancer has spread to the other parts/organs of your body. Standardized chemotherapy treatment uses a single or a combination of anti-cancer drugs to prevent cancer from recurring. These are administered either in your bloodstream or is targeted to particular cancer sites.

Radiation - X-ray beams are directed to destroy the cancer cells and reduce large tumours before performing surgery so that they can easily be removed. It also helps reduce the symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

Why is it hard to treat?

Most of the cases are diagnosed at later stages. Surgery is not a valid option then so it is important to identify the symptoms earlier.

A dense tissue layer called the stroma surrounds the pancreas. It is difficult to reach the pancreas through this tissue so treatments are difficult.

Some treatments that work out for other cancers may not work out for this. There are no targeted drugs to treat pancreatic cancer.

Prevention:

Maintain a healthy diet - Consumption of red meat increases the chances of pancreatic cancer. Fresh vegetables and fruits may reduce the chances of cancer.
Maintain a healthy weight - Obesity is a known cause of cancer. If you are overweight, try to lose some weight steadily through natural means.
Do not smoke - Stop smoking. Get help from your friends, family and doctor to control your nicotine habits.

Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis since it is difficult to identify the signs initially. Patients generally do not recover fully. Moreover, cancer treatments can be very strenuous and emotionally draining, so the best way to fight cancer is to prevent it from the very beginning.

A pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a condition where pus collects in the liver in the form of a pocket as a result of bacterial infection. Pus formation occurs when the body tries to fight off any infection. The pus is basically a fluid-like substance that comprises dead cells as well as white blood cells. During PLA, the pus accumulates inside the liver pocket instead of draining off from the site of infection.

Those suffering from pyogenic liver abscess are likely to suffer from conditions such as inflammation and swelling. Patients may also suffer from pain experienced in the abdominal area. If the disease is left untreated, it can prove to be fatal.

Causes

Pyogenic Liver Abscess can occur because of the biliary disorder. The biliary disease is an umbrella term for a few conditions that might affect areas of the body such as the pancreas, liver and gallbladder. Certain other risks and causes include-

Bacterial growth from an appendix that has become ruptured and has formed an abscess
Colon cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Inflammatory diseases of the bowel tract such as perforated bowel or diverticulitis
Septicemia or blood infection
PLA could also have been brought about by a trauma to the liver as a result of an injury or accident.

Treatment of Pyogenic Liver Abscess

In order to come to a conclusion about the condition, the doctor will need to run a number of imaging as well as blood culture tests.

Initially, the health care provider will aim to treat your condition with antibiotics alone. This is because antibiotics help in preventing the chances of the bacteria spreading throughout the body. As opposed to the earlier preference of surgical drainage form, nowadays, percutaneous drainage of the pus is preferred as the first line of treatment. However, if your case has reached the more severe stage then surgery will be required to remove the abscess.

A liver abscess surgery is performed using general anaesthesia. During the surgery, the surgeon will insert a needle into the diseased liver, and place a catheter to remove the pus. After the surgery, you will be prescribed antibiotics for a number of weeks in order to completely remove the infection that has spread to your body.

The antibiotic course occurs in two phases-

Intravenous - The intravenous course of antibiotics helps in the healing process in the earlier stages.
Oral - this can extend for several weeks.

Pyogenic Liver Abscess if left untreated can turn fatal for the person suffering from it. You should immediately seek out medical help if you notice symptoms of PLA such as vomiting, dark-coloured urine, diarrhoea, chills, rapid weight loss and fever. A prompt treatment is important for quick healing.

Pancreas are a small, but a pretty important part of a person s digestive system. So when it needs to be removed, the reason has got to be quite serious, to say the least, doesn t it? The procedure is known formally as pancreatectomy and it is most often required for people who are suffering from cancer of the pancreas. Ideally, these people would only need the cancerous tumours removed, but things are not always this simple. As a matter of fact, only a little more than a tenth of the people who have pancreatic cancer can have a tumour alone removed. As a result, most need to go for a pancreatectomy, which involves removing the entire pancreas. Whether the pancreas can be kept is usually related to how soon the cancer was detected, with people who have done so in time being a majority of the 10% of people with pancreatic cancer who have not needed pancreatectomies.

If a person does not have cancer, the reason he or she may need a pancreatectomy due to an accident which has injured the area significantly badly. In this case, a procedure which is known as a partial pancreatectomy is carried out on the patient. The good news is that the success rate of this sort of operation is generally quite high and the long-term effects on the body are nil. This is the case in spite of a lot of the normal tissue of the pancreas being removed, pretty amazing, isn t it?

While it may be called a pancreatectomy, it does not always mean that the pancreas is the only thing that is removed. In fact, in a lot of pancreatectomies, the surgeons also remove other parts of the digestive system which are usually the common bile duct, the spleen and the gallbladder.

There is, of course, the case of chronic pancreatitis, which occurs when the organ just swells up repeatedly. The repeated swelling leads to permanent damage of it, which affects the rest of the body, too. In most cases, the cause of this happens to be a sustained addiction to alcohol. When this is the case, it is really hard to perform a pancreatectomy and the utility of the pancreas is greatly reduced. Not a good situation to be in, under any circumstances, at all!

A pancreatectomy is a process which nobody would voluntarily wish to undergo, but there are advantages to knowing what it is, in any case!

The pancreases are one of the most ignored glands in the abdomen. However, they are an important part of the digestive system. Without efficient pancreas controlling blood sugar levels is very hard. Pancreatic cancer is one of the conditions that can affect his gland. It is a rare type of cancer but is very aggressive and has very few symptoms. Hence, in many cases, it is diagnosed only at an advanced stage. Pancreatic cancer can be treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. With advancements in the field of medicine, pancreatic cancer can also be treated with laparoscopic surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery is also known as minimally invasive surgery or keyhole surgery. This technique allows surgical procedures to be performed on the internal organs without making a large cut in the skin. Most laparoscopic procedures need only a 0.5 to a 1.5cm wide incision. As compared to an open surgery, laparoscopic procedures cause less discomfort and heal faster.

When it comes to pancreatic cancer, there are a number of laparoscopic procedures that can be used.

Exploratory Laparoscopy - To determine the best form of treatment for pancreatic cancer, it is essential to determine the stage cancer has reached. Laparoscopy is very useful in such scenarios and can help assess the amount of damage the pancreas have undergone. Laparoscopy can also be used to detect the presence of any metastatic diseases before performing surgery.
Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy - The bottom half of the pancreas may be removed if a tumor is found in the body or tail of the pancreas. This procedure can be performed laparoscopically by making a 2.5cm to a 3cm incision. These tumors usually have a very low grade of malignancy. After the surgery, the patient will need to be hospitalized for 2 to 3 days.
Laparoscopic Whipple Operation - Chronic pancreatitis or small endocrine or cystic tumors in the pancreas can be treated with a Laparoscopic Whipple procedure. This procedure involves removing the head of the pancreas and part of the body as well if need be. Parts of the bile duct, lymph nodes, gall bladder, stomach and small intestine that are near the affected part of the pancreas may also be removed.
Laparoscopy for Palliative Surgery - In some cases, cancer may be too advanced to be addressed surgically. In such cases, palliative surgery is often recommended to relieve symptoms. One of the ways this can be done is with a laparoscopic bypass surgery. In this procedure, the bile flow is rerouted so as to skip the pancreas and flow directly into the small intestines. Such surgeries are advised only if the patient is in overall good health.