Pancreatic cancer the facts

Following the death of beloved film star, Patrick Swayze of pancreatic cancer, there has been a renewed interest in the disease. Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive form of the cancer family and has a low survival rate. There have been very few cases of people surviving once the disease has been diagnosed and not much research has broken through about the disease.

Effectively, there is no clear way to screen pancreatic cancer and what causes it is still a bit of a mystery. Research has shown however, that those who smoke and those with diabetes have a higher risk of developing the cancer. It affects both men and women and is most commonly diagnosed in people over the age of 70. However, as in the case Patrick Swayze who was in his late 50s, it can be pretty indiscriminate.

Survival rates are not high, with 95 per cent of people dying within five years of being diagnosed. Because of the relatively rare nature of the disease, it does not attract as much funding as other more common forms of cancer.

The disease begins in the tissues of the pancreas. This organ lies behind the lower part of the stomach and secretes enzymes to aid digestion. It also gives off hormones to regulate the metabolism of sugars. Outwardly, signs and symptoms of cancer of the pancreas rarely show up the cancer is quite advanced. Removal is not an option.

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