While pancreas cancer usually strikes people in their sixth or seventh decade, it can also occur in younger patients. While cigarette smoking and obesity are considered to be the most significant risk factors, 5% to 10% of cases are genetic. People who have a family history of cancer should seek genetic counseling to find out whether they are at risk for the disease. However, there is no single symptom that indicates the presence of pancreatic cancer.
Early symptoms of pancreas cancer include yellow skin and eyes and bile duct obstruction. Some people may experience nausea, indigestion, or chronic nausea and vomiting. In rare cases, a tumor will grow without showing any symptoms. However, if it is located outside the bile duct area, symptoms may not be apparent until the tumor has spread to other areas of the body. The best course of treatment is surgery.
In addition to surgery, patients may have other symptoms. While islet cell tumors are rare, they can cause symptoms of low or high blood sugar. People with this type of tumor may also experience stomach pain and diarrhea. Another type of pancreas cancer involves the exocrine pancreas, which is made up of ducts. Ductal adenocarcinomas are most likely to develop in the cells lining these ducts.
Radiation therapy may help to relieve pancreas cancer-related pain, because it reduces tumor-related ductal obstruction and perineural invasion. It also disrupts inflammatory pathways. For example, ablative doses of radiation to the celiac plexus result in significant pain relief for pancreatic cancer patients. One study showed that 17% of patients completely eliminated pain after receiving this treatment. This study suggests that the effectiveness of pain management may depend on the type of pancreas cancer and other factors.
Radiation therapy for pancreas cancer is an alternative to surgery for patients. The treatment combines high-dose radiation with pain management and chemotherapy to control symptoms. In clinical trials, it has shown modest effectiveness for tumor reduction. Overall, 15% of patients achieved partial responses. The remainder had stable or progressive disease. The NAPOLI-I trial found that SBRT was associated with good quality of life (QOL) and reduced dependency on opioids.
A family history of pancreatic cancer also increases a person’s risk of developing the disease. Inherited genetic mutations in the STK11 gene may also increase the risk of pancreas cancer. Also, heavy exposure to chemicals at work may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Finally, genetic testing can be used to determine whether a person has a predisposition to pancreatic cancer.
The most promising treatment for pancreas cancer is the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. There are several different therapies available for this disease, including hyaluronidase (PEGPH20) and gemcitabine. These therapies are effective for resection but are not completely effective. This disease has no known cure, but many patients are cured of the disease and have lived for many years. So, the question remains: Is there a way to detect the earliest signs of the disease?
