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Pancreatic Cancer Research Paper

Decent Essays

Megan Gogel
Mrs. Pund
English 9
March 27, 2017
Word Count:
Pancreatic Cancer:
A Complex Disease In 2000, there were 28,300 new cases of pancreatic cancer and 28,000 deaths, making the mortality rate for pancreatic cancer at a high of ninety nine percent. Over the years, researchers have found more about the pancreatic tumor to have to mortality rate to go down. Between 2000 and 2009, the mortality went down by sixteen percent. (Panno) Pancreatic cancer can be rare, hard to treat, and get diagnosed before too late; the low chances of survival make pancreatic cancer the deadliest of all of the cancers. For cancer deaths, pancreatic cancer is ranked at the fourth highest cause of deaths. In 2009, the mortality rate for pancreatic cancer decreased …show more content…

One common symptom is jaundice, which is the darkening of skin and the yellowing of the whites of eyes. Jaundice is caused by the tumor blocking the common duct in the pancreas and causing a buildup of bilirubin, substance in liver, in blood and tissues.(An Overview, Panno) Even though jaundice is a symptom of pancreatic cancer, at times jaundice can be caused by liver diseases such as gallstones and hepatitis. (Panno) Another symptom could be abdominal pain by the tumor pushing the organs around the pancreas. Pain can also be from the tumor invading nearby nerves and if the tumor is blocking the digestive tract. When the tumor blocks the digestive tract, some symptom digestive problems such as poor appetite, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting. This symptom can also be caused by change on the amount of pancreatic enzymes produced. Some patients of pancreatic cancer also notice a change in their weight. This is from the cancer causing the body to burn more calories than normal, break down different muscles, and decrease the person’s appetite. The patient may also notice a change of appetite or desire for different foods. (An …show more content…

The doctor may also take a blood test to determine if the jaundice is due to pancreatic cancer or liver disease. (Panno) Once the patient is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, they can choose from different treatment plans. When determining the person’s treatment plan, they take consider their age and expected lifespan, other serious health conditions, the stage of the cancer, if surgery can remove cancer, likelihood of curing the cancer, and how the person feels about side effects. For many patients, the part that most important is the controlling of pain. Some treatments for the cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and other drugs. (Treating) Treating pancreatic cancer is very difficult due to the dense outer shell around the pancreatic tumor and nearly impossible to penetrate with cancer-killing drugs. “Wall is so tough that clinical trials with medications that are experimental designed to breach barrier had to be abandoned mainstream, drug so harsh they sicken already ailing patients,” said Doctor Abram Handly-Santana, a researcher who specializes in pancreatic cancer. (Ricks) Even though treating pancreatic cancer is difficult, some doctor decide to perform surgery to determine if the tumor is removeable and to determine the staging of the cancer to prescribe the best treatment. (Panno) The best

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