Pancreatic cancer, which is considered one of the most difficult types of cancer to diagnose and treat, ranks fourth among the causes of life-threatening cancer. Although advanced age causes the emergence of the disease, it can also be seen in young people due to obesity, smoking and genetic factors. Pancreatic cancer has a close relationship with diabetes. Diabetes can sometimes be the first sign of pancreatic cancer.
Attention to familial transmission and genetic factors!
Smoking and obesity play an important role in the emergence of pancreatic cancer, as in the formation of every tumor. The relationship between pancreatic cancer and diabetes should not be ignored. After the emergence of diabetes, the development of the disease in the pancreas becomes more risky, and pancreatic cancer can show symptoms with diabetes. Some genetic factors are also effective in pancreatic cancer and there is familial transmission. In this respect, people with pancreatic cancer in their family should generally be followed up more frequently. Some types of cancer may accompany pancreatic cancer and trigger the formation of pancreatic cancer. It is important to evaluate people with a family history of cancer in this respect.
Take care of the causes of pancreatic cancer!
30% smoking
advanced age
A diet rich in protein, devoid of fruit and vegetables
Obesity
Exposure to petroleum and chemicals
Chronic pancreatic inflammation that is not treated for a long time
Diabetes
Confused with stomach disease
Pancreatic cancer is a disease that usually does not show symptoms at an early stage and manifests itself with different complaints when it progresses. Especially back pain, yellowing of urine and skin color and the development of jaundice occur when the tumor is very advanced. Due to the location of the pancreas, complaints may also be similar to different diseases. Since it is an organ located behind the stomach, the complaint of pain also develops behind the stomach and causes a problem in the pancreas to be ignored. When the complaint of stomach pain is tried to be relieved with some treatments to reduce acid secretion, pancreatic cancer may cause a delay in the diagnosis.
Watch out for these 8 signs!
Abdominal pain that worsens after meals or when taking a horizontal position
-Gas pains, bloating
- Vomiting and loss of appetite
-Dark or bloody urine
-General weakness
Enlargement of the liver and gallbladder
-Itching
-Arrival
Diagnosis by endoscopic ultrasound
The mass in the pancreas can be seen with a good ultrasound for diagnosis. Apart from that, tomography, pet-CT and most importantly endoscopic ultrasonography are very successful in detecting the location and localization of the masses. Pancreatic cancer, for which an effective drug treatment has not yet been developed despite modern methods, can only be intervened with surgical methods. In surgery, it is possible to shorten and remove the pancreas to the area where the tumor is, and to resort to whipple surgery, which is a very complex operation, in the head of the pancreas.
Patient comfort is at the forefront in surgeries
Open and closed surgery can be applied to any type of pancreatic tumor. Laparoscopic surgery is routinely performed in trunk and tail tumors. Experience is absolutely necessary for laparoscopic surgery in pancreatic head tumors because it is a very difficult surgery. Especially the presence of large vessels around and the relationship of the tumor with them make surgery difficult. Surgery is of great importance, especially in the future, in order to eliminate the complaints of jaundice, nausea and vomiting that will occur when the tumor grows and obstructs the duodenum and bile ducts.
Every patient can have a chance for surgery
It is not possible to distinguish tumors that occur in the pancreatic head, duodenum and bile ducts near the pancreatic head, since these three organs are attached to each other. The "whipple method", which is much more effective, is used to completely clean the area in tumors occurring in the said organs. It is suitable for patients whose tumor is inside the pancreas and has not spread. But nowadays, this surgery can be performed in tumors that have jumped into the vein behind the liver.