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Intellectual people
Pancreatic cancer is a disease with a very poor prognosis. According to WHO statistics, it is only 14th in terms of incidence, but 7th in cancer death rate.
What is pancreatic cancer?
The pancreas is an organ that belongs to the digestive system, located behind the peritoneum, near the posterior abdominal wall, the front part of the pancreas covered by the stomach. The pancreas is divided into 3 main parts from right to left, including the head of the pancreas, the body of the pancreas, and the tail of the pancreas.
The pancreas has 2 main functions:
– Exocrine function: releases pancreatic enzymes in the duodenum to help digest food in the small intestine. The main tissue block of the pancreas is the exocrine pancreatic tissue, which is responsible for the function of the pancreas.
Endocrine Function: Releases the hormones insulin and glucagon to go directly into the bloodstream and participate in the body’s glucose metabolism. The endocrine function is performed by the endocrine cells of the pancreas, which are interspersed with the glandular follicles of the exocrine pancreas and are called islets of Langerhans.
Pancreatic cancers are malignant lesions that arise from any component of the pancreatic tissue. Endocrine cancer is the most common type of pancreatic cancer. Approximately 95% of endocrine pancreatic cancers are adenocarcinomas. This type of cancer usually begins in the ducts of the pancreas. Less commonly, cancer develops from cells that produce pancreatic enzymes, in which case they are called acinar cell carcinoma.
Pancreatic cancer is divided into 4 stages as follows:
– Stage 1: A tumor appears in the pancreas, slightly less than 2cm in size, which hardly causes symptoms, so the patient is very difficult to detect. –
Stage 2: The tumor is larger than 2 cm and less than 4 cm in size, has invaded the tissues around the pancreas but has not affected the blood vessels, and cancer cells may be present in the surrounding lymph nodes.
– Stage 3: the tumor can reach more than 6 cm in size, the cancer cells invade the blood vessels and metastasize to many lymph nodes, as well as to nearby organs.
– Stage 4: The tumor can reach any size, invading more distant parts such as liver, lungs, peritoneum …
Why is pancreatic cancer so dangerous?
The dangers of pancreatic cancer stem from the following causes:
– Difficult to diagnose early: the pancreas is obscured by the duodenum, the stomach, making it difficult to see clearly. Therefore, only when the tumor reaches a relative size and the patient exhibits typical symptoms is pancreatic cancer discovered.
– Easy to misdiagnosis: the pancreas is behind the stomach, so when the pancreas has symptoms or pain, it is easy to confuse it with stomach diseases such as: stomach ulcers, indigestion, intestines. prefer…
Difficult to treat: Currently, the most effective treatment for pancreatic cancer is surgery. However, in advanced patients, only about 20% can be treated in this direction. With chemotherapy, pancreatic cancer cells responded less, resulting in low efficiency.
Who should be on the lookout for pancreatic cancer?
According to Dr. Le Cong Dinh, Department of Internal Medicine II, Hanoi Oncology Hospital, the specific cause of pancreatic cancer has not been determined. However, many studies have shown that risk factors are closely related to the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer, including:
Genetic factors: Approximately 10-15% of pancreatic cancers are related to genetic factors. The association of genetic factors with pancreatic cancer can be divided into two groups:
People with inherited syndromes are associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer runs in families.
Chronic pathology in the pancreas: Some chronic diseases of the pancreas that increase the risk of pancreatic cancer include:
Diabetes – Many studies have shown that diabetes and pancreatic cancer are closely related, with diabetes being both a risk factor and a consequence of pancreatic cancer.
– Chronic pancreatitis.
Pancreatic fibrosis disease.
Environmental factors: Factors that increase the risk of pancreatic cancer include smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity, and alcoholism.
How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?
Through the results of the clinical examination with suspected abnormal manifestations of pancreatic cancer, the doctor will prescribe specific methods to accurately evaluate the condition. The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer requires a combination of different methods:
– Blood test: Tests for some cancer markers like CA 19-9, CEA also have some value in diagnosing diseases. Approximately 75-85% of patients with pancreatic cancer have CA 19-9 scores elevated above 100 IU / ml (normal value 33-37 IU / ml).
– CT: A new generation of CT scans is the first and foremost option for diagnosing pancreatic cancer.
– Endoscopic ultrasound: Considered as a means of diagnosis of pancreatic cancer with the highest sensitivity and specificity. With high-resolution imaging probes, this method can detect 99-100% of pancreatic cancers.
– Laparoscopic retrograde biliary scan (ERCP): Pancreatic abnormalities can be detected.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): A non-invasive diagnostic tool with equivalent value to CT.
– PET: It allows to detect primary and latent metastatic tumors.
– Biopsy: It is usually performed under ultrasound guidance through endoscopy, CT …
At 12:18 pm on September 19, musician Pho Duc Phuong took his last breath, at the age of 76. The author of the song “A Tay Ho Moment” has discovered late stage pancreatic cancer since the beginning of this year, so his health is deteriorating very quickly.
Minh nhat
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