Cancer that begins in the tissues of the pancreas is known as pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic is responsible for releasing enzymes that help in digestion and producing hormones that manage the blood sugar levels in your body. Pancreatic cancer is rarely detected at its early stages, its symptoms mostly appear too late. It often spreads to other organs of the body at later stages and treatment/cure becomes difficult. Hence, the best way to avoid this cancer is to be regular with your preventive health checkups that can catch it early if it develops.
The most common type of pancreatic cancer is the one that begins in the cells of the lining of the ducts that carry digestive enzymes out of your pancreas. It is known as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
What can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer:
- Addictive lifestyle habits like smoking & drinking
- Pancreatitis
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Having a BRCA2 gene mutation, Lynch syndrome
- Family history of pancreatic cancer
- Aging
Many studies have shown - the combination of one’s health and lifestyle, like smoking, having diabetes, and an unhealthy diet drastically increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer:
- Unaccounted weight loss
- Abdominal pain that reaches your back
- Sudden loss of appetite
- Jaundice
- Itchy skin
- Fatigue
Even as pancreatic cancer progresses, it can cause these above-mentioned complications especially jaundice and bowel obstruction.
Treatment of pancreatic cancer:
Treatment depends on the stage that cancer has reached. Specialists might include radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, or all these in combination according to the extent of cancer.
How to prevent pancreatic cancer:
Reduce your risks for pancreatic cancer by modifying your lifestyle habits, and following the below suggestions:
- Quit smoking
- Maintain an ideal BMI/healthy body weight
- Eat a nutritious and balanced diet
- Keep a check on your family history
- Know your genetic risks for cancer mutations
- Never miss your yearly full body health checkups
Know how a full body health checkup assists in finding out diseases like pancreatic cancer at an early stage thereby helping in complete cure with a low cost and non-invasive treatment.
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