Personal story: A friend's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and underwent a Whipple procedure (click here). She was one of the survivors. The procedure takes time to heal and return to any level of normalcy, but, in some people, it works. She is alive today and it has been 10 years.
Kindly notice, the "head" of the pancreas is removed in the Whipple Procedure. If the cancer is in the "body or tail" of the organ it has a poorer outcome and Whipple may not be indicated (click here).
A word from the Cleveland Clinic (click here).
Mayo Clinic on Risk Factors (click here)
Factors that may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer include:
- Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Diabetes
- Family history of genetic syndromes that can increase cancer risk, including a BRCA2 gene mutation, Lynch syndrome and familial atypical mole-malignant melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome
- Family history of pancreatic cancer
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Older age, as most people are diagnosed after age 65
A large study demonstrated that the combination of smoking, long-standing diabetes and a poor diet increases the risk of pancreatic cancer beyond the risk of any one of these factors alone.
Alex Trebek is correct, a much earlier detection needs to be developed into a part of Preventive Medicine. Physicians should not be so dismissive of the symptoms he discusses. New onset of diabetes should be alarming enough to at least perform an abdominal x-ray. Persistent stomach pain, mid-back pain without a clear reason such as an injury should also be better scrutinized.
We have emerged from the application of Diagnostic Codes for Payment with physicians somewhat restricted in the application of their own knowledge. The physician should be the one to decide a complete diagnosis, not just one that pays the bills.
