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Dr Harsh Shah - GI & HPB Oncosurgeon in India
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Pancreatic Cancer

Frequently Asked Questions Part 2

Can you live without a Pancreas?

Can u live without a Pancreas

⦿ Yes, you can live without a pancreas. Physicians, however, only recommend removing the pancreas if a person has a severe medical condition, such as substantial pancreatic cancer.

⦿ In most cases, medical treatment may take the place of the pancreas, but people living without the pancreas require careful monitoring and medical attention to control the level of blood sugar. A person has to take life-long digestive enzymes for the digestion of food. Removal of the pancreas as well means that a person will have to make a variety of lifestyle changes that may be difficult to adjust.

Can pancreatic cancer cause a stroke?

Can pancreatic cancer cause a stroke

⦿ The risk of stroke is most remarkable in patients with lung and pancreatic cancers that are mostly diagnosed at advanced stages. The risk of stroke is more significant for people with more severe cancers.

⦿ Cancer raises the risk of stroke regardless of other risk factors for strokes, such as elevated blood pressure and diabetes. Stroke often leads to death and illness, particularly when it is not quickly diagnosed and treated with clot-busting medicines.

What happens when pancreatic cancer spreads to lungs?

What happens when pancreatic cancer spreads to lungs

⦿ While the liver is the most prevalent location of pancreatic cancer metastases, in certain instances, cancer may escape the liver and metastasize to the lung or other distant organs. Then It will be called stage 4 cancer.

⦿ Cancer can not be cured at this time, although therapeutic methods such as chemotherapy are possible. At this point, therapy focuses on extending the life and enhancing the quality of life.

Can a person have pancreas cancer at 30 years of age ?

Can a person have pancreas cancer at 30 years of age

⦿ Pancreatic cancer can occur under 30 years of age. Most cases are diagnosed in patients among 60 and 80 years of age. The risk of pancreatic cancer increases most dramatically after 50 years of age.

⦿ It is essential to be vigilant regarding the symptoms at all ages. When cancer occurs at such a young age, the cause is usually hereditary or early genetic mutations.

How Is Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosed?

How Is Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosed

When you have signs of pancreatic cancer, the doctor is going to:

⦿ Enquire about your family and medical background.
⦿ Examine the body, skin, and eyes, and press your abdomen to scan for abnormalities in the pancreas, liver and gallbladder.
⦿ Likely order blood tests such as liver function tests & CA19-9.
⦿ Order an imaging analysis such as computed tomography ( CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
⦿ Take a piece of tissue called a biopsy.

Pancreatic cancer vs Liver cancer

Pancreatic cancer vs Liver cancer

⦿ Pancreatic cancer is so seldom detected in the early stages; it spreads quickly from the small organ behind the stomach to the lymph nodes and blood. It may be impossible to remove all of it surgically by the time it is found. The cause of pancreatic cancer is usually not known.

⦿ Liver cancer develops after a long-term infection with hepatitis or due to a liver condition called cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is caused by long-term alcohol intake, infection with the hepatitis virus, or long-term diabetes.
 
⦿ Pancreatic cancer may spread to other parts of the body. So even if pancreatic cancer spreads to your liver, for example, it’s still called pancreatic cancer, not liver cancer. Liver cancer can’t spread to the pancreas.

What is whipple's procedure ?

What is Whipple's procedure

⦿ It is the name given to the significant medical operation performed over the pancreas. In the Whipple procedure, surgeons remove the head of the pancreas, duodenum, gallstones, and usually part of the stomach.

⦿ This procedure is performed for a variety of reasons, most popularly for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, common bile duct, or duodenum.

Pancreatic cancer vs. Pancreatitis symptoms

Pancreatic cancer vs. Pancreatitis symptoms

Pancreatitis is a swelling of the pancreas, while pancreatic cancer is a tumour in the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis share common signs and symptoms, such as:

⦿ Pain in the abdomen
⦿ Back pain
⦿ Appetite loss
⦿ Nausea
⦿ Loss of weight
⦿ Bloating up

However, the major difference between the two is the rapid development of symptoms in pancreatitis as compared to pancreas cancer.

What is the prognosis of cancer of the Pancreas?

What is the prognosis of cancer of the Pancreas
⦿ Although the survival rate of pancreatic cancer has risen from decade to decade, the condition is also considered practically incurable.
 
⦿ According to the American Society of cancer, for all levels of pancreatic cancer overall, the one-year average survival rate is 20%, and the five-year survival rate is 7%.

What is pancreatic cancer with sepsis?

What is pancreatic cancer with sepsis
⦿ SEPSIS is a condition caused by the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening reaction to infection that can lead to tissue injury, organ failure, and death.
 
⦿ Sepsis may arise in pancreatic cancer when the bile duct, blocked by a rising tumour that contributes to jaundice and infection. The disease would require emergency hospitalisation.
See Part 1
See Part 3
Dr. Harsh J Shah