The pancreas is a non-vital viscus located in the deepest and posterior part of the abdomen, and has three distinct anatomical parts: the head, the body and the tail. Its functions are:
- Endocrine: producer of several hormones, the most important being insulin, which regulates the amount of sugar in the bloodstream.
- Exocrine: producer of enzymes or ferments that are poured into the digestive tract and help in the digestion of proteins and fats.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers, since it does not present clear symptoms until the disease progresses and often affects other organs.
What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
In spite of being a disease that does not present acute symptoms at its onset, pancreatic cancer usually causes discomfort of variable intensity and an inconsistent course (not relieved by eating, prolonged for more than a week…) in the pit of the stomach and, curiously, in the back.
When associated with unexplained loss of appetite or weight loss, these symptoms should be taken as warning signs to go as soon as possible to a pancreas specialist, who is usually a doctor specializing in General Surgery or Digestive System with special dedication to this type of pathology. Finally, if we had to define one symptom as characteristic of the pancreas, it is jaundice (i.e., our skin and ocular conjunctivae become pigmented, our urine becomes dark in color and our stool becomes lighter); jaundice occurs when the tumor has its location, the head of the pancreas, and compresses the main bile duct as it grows, “clogging” the flow of bile that accumulates and passes into the blood.
More and more imaging tests are being carried out in patients with symptoms of abdominal pathology, which makes it possible to see lesions that were previously only seen when the disease was more advanced, and the patient had lost a lot of weight and appetite and even, on occasions, incidental diagnoses of pancreatic cancers or their precursor lesions.
Adenocarcinoma or pancreatic cancer is very aggressive. It is therefore important to see a surgeon specializing in pancreatic pathologies as soon as possible to determine whether or not it can be removed, a decision that is always made with at least a high-resolution CT and MRI scan and a study of tumor markers in the blood (CEA and CA19.9).
This cancer usually affects only one part of the pancreas. In these cases only the affected part is removed, not the entire organ. Fortunately, the rest of the patient’s remaining pancreas can, in most cases, continue to fulfill its dual metabolic function. Only a small percentage of patients (and especially when the head of the pancreas is removed) will usually require anti-diabetic medication due to a deficit of insulin secreted after pancreatic cancer surgery.
There are other occasions when it is necessary to remove the pancreas completely. In these cases, the patient is faced with a life that requires a lot of attention and certain care to palliate the lack of the pancreas.
Who is most affected by pancreatic cancer?
Pancreatic cancer affects mostly men, although women are not excluded from suffering from it. It is usually diagnosed after the age of 45. Tobacco, alcohol, overweight and family history are an important risk factor in this disease, with special mention for diabetics, since patients with type II diabetes (diabetes developed in adulthood and due to overweight or obesity) are more prone to pancreatic cancer than the rest of the population. However, pancreatic cancer can occur in anyone even if they have no known risk factors.