Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (also called cancer of the pancreas) is represented by the growth of a malignant tumour within the small pancreas organ. Each year about 31,000 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with this condition, with more than 60,000 in Europe. more...

Home
Diseases
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Arthritis
Arthritis
Bubonic plague
Hypokalemia
Pachydermoperiostosis
Pachygyria
Pacman syndrome
Paget's disease of bone
Paget's disease of the...
Palmoplantar Keratoderma
Pancreas divisum
Pancreatic cancer
Panhypopituitarism
Panic disorder
Panniculitis
Panophobia
Panthophobia
Papilledema
Paraganglioma
Paramyotonia congenita
Paraphilia
Paraplegia
Parapsoriasis
Parasitophobia
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinsonism
Paroxysmal nocturnal...
Patau syndrome
Patent ductus arteriosus
Pathophobia
Patterson...
Pediculosis
Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Pelvic lipomatosis
Pemphigus
Pemphigus
Pemphigus
Pendred syndrome
Periarteritis nodosa
Perinatal infections
Periodontal disease
Peripartum cardiomyopathy
Peripheral neuropathy
Peritonitis
Periventricular leukomalacia
Pernicious anemia
Perniosis
Persistent sexual arousal...
Pertussis
Pes planus
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
Peyronie disease
Pfeiffer syndrome
Pharmacophobia
Phenylketonuria
Pheochromocytoma
Photosensitive epilepsy
Pica (disorder)
Pickardt syndrome
Pili multigemini
Pilonidal cyst
Pinta
PIRA
Pityriasis lichenoides...
Pityriasis lichenoides et...
Pityriasis rubra pilaris
Placental abruption
Pleural effusion
Pleurisy
Pleuritis
Plummer-Vinson syndrome
Pneumoconiosis
Pneumocystis jiroveci...
Pneumocystosis
Pneumonia, eosinophilic
Pneumothorax
POEMS syndrome
Poland syndrome
Poliomyelitis
Polyarteritis nodosa
Polyarthritis
Polychondritis
Polycystic kidney disease
Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Polycythemia vera
Polydactyly
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Polymyositis
Polyostotic fibrous...
Pompe's disease
Popliteal pterygium syndrome
Porencephaly
Porphyria
Porphyria cutanea tarda
Portal hypertension
Portal vein thrombosis
Post Polio syndrome
Post-traumatic stress...
Postural hypotension
Potophobia
Poxviridae disease
Prader-Willi syndrome
Precocious puberty
Preeclampsia
Premature aging
Premenstrual dysphoric...
Presbycusis
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Primary ciliary dyskinesia
Primary hyperparathyroidism
Primary lateral sclerosis
Primary progressive aphasia
Primary pulmonary...
Primary sclerosing...
Prinzmetal's variant angina
Proconvertin deficiency,...
Proctitis
Progeria
Progressive external...
Progressive multifocal...
Progressive supranuclear...
Prostatitis
Protein S deficiency
Protein-energy malnutrition
Proteus syndrome
Prune belly syndrome
Pseudocholinesterase...
Pseudogout
Pseudohermaphroditism
Pseudohypoparathyroidism
Pseudomyxoma peritonei
Pseudotumor cerebri
Pseudovaginal...
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Psittacosis
Psoriasis
Psychogenic polydipsia
Psychophysiologic Disorders
Pterygium
Ptosis
Pubic lice
Puerperal fever
Pulmonary alveolar...
Pulmonary hypertension
Pulmonary sequestration
Pulmonary valve stenosis
Pulmonic stenosis
Pure red cell aplasia
Purpura
Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch
Purpura, thrombotic...
Pyelonephritis
Pyoderma gangrenosum
Pyomyositis
Pyrexiophobia
Pyrophobia
Pyropoikilocytosis
Pyrosis
Pyruvate kinase deficiency
Uveitis
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Medicines

Types

  • M8140/3: The most common form of this disease is known as adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. It is one of the most lethal forms of cancer with few victims still alive 5 years after diagnosis, and complete remission still extremely rare.
  • M8150/1, M8150/3: A less common, and typically far less aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, is called islet-cell tumor (and is sometimes also known by the term neuroendocrine tumor).

Risk factors

Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include :

  • Age
  • Male gender
  • African-American ethnicity
  • Smoking
  • Diets high in meat
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic pancreatitis
  • Occupational exposure to certain pesticides, dyes, and chemicals related to gasoline
  • Family history
  • Helicobacter pylori infection

Diagnosis

Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is difficult because the symptoms are so non-specific and varied. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, significant weight loss, jaundice, digestive problems, and depression.

Courvoisier's law is sometimes used to distinguish pancreatic cancer from gallstones.

Pancreatic cancer is usually discovered during the course of the evaluation of these symptoms by e.g. abdominal CT. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is another procedure that can help visualize the tumor and obtain tissue to establish the diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment of pancreatic cancer depends on the stage of the cancer Recent advances have made resection of tumors that were previously unrescetable due to blood vessel involvement possible. The Whipple procedure is the most common surgical treatment for cancers involving the head of the pancreas.

Recent advances in the treatment of pancreatic cancer: For number of years, treatment of pancreatic cancer was limited to 5-FU alone. Then Gemcitabine was introduced. Gemcitabine had no survival advantage in pancreatic cancer compared to 5-FU, but the drug was FDA approved for pancreatic cancer based on better improvement in symptoms compared to 5-FU.

Targeted therapy using several new drugs is showing significant improvements in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. New drugs for the treatment of pancreatic cancer include: erlotinib, cetuximab, bevacizumab, tipifarnib. These drugs hold promise for the future treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer.

Prognosis

Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer typically have a poor prognosis because the cancer usually causes no symptoms early on, leading to metastatic disease at time of diagnosis. Median survival times from diagnosis of 3-4 months are not unknown.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


Pancreatic Cancer $237.44 100 Q&A About Pancreatic Cancer $8.50
Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Malignancies: Diagnosis, Medical, and Surgical Management $65.95 The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Pancreatic Cancer: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age $37.50
In memoriam: two of franchising's leading advocates succumbed to pancreatic cancer recently. Former IFA Chairmen Bernard S. "Bernie" Browning CFE ('74) ... : An article from: Franchising World $5.95 Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer : Pancreatic cancer, endocrine $5.99
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine : Pancreatic cancer, exocrine $5.99 Running for the cure : An article from: Georgia Trend $10.00
Resection possible for some pancreatic cancer patients: hope for a few.(Gastroenterology) : An article from: Internal Medicine News $5.95 Post honored for pancreatic research.(Brief Article) : An article from: Medical Update $5.95

Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer. Ed. by Daniel D. Von Hoff et al. Jones & Bartlett 2005 832 pages $249.95 Hardcover RC280 In introducing 54 color-illustrated ...
Screening for pancreatic cancer: recommendation statement
This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for pancreatic cancer and the supporting scientific ...
Case report: pancreatic cancer
Editor: Survival rates for cancer of the head of the pancreas are poor. Unresectable patients live about 6 months. (1) During the past few years I ...
Dietary intake of lycopene is associated with reduced pancreatic cancer risk
Nkondjock A, Ghadirian P, Johnson KC, et al. J Nutr 2005;135:592-597. Although fruits and vegetables have been implicated in the etiology of pancreatic ...
New research says some nutrients can inhibit pancreatic cancer growth
Innovative research conducted by scientists under the direction of Aleksandra Niedzwiecki, Ph.D., at the Dr. Rath Research Institute indicates that the spread of pancreatic cancer can be inhibited
Modulation of the constitutive activated STAT3 transcription factor in pancreatic cancer prevention: effects of indole-3-carbinol and genistein
Lian JP, Word B, Taylor S, et al. Anticancer Res 2004;24:133-137. BACKGROUND: The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a latent transcription factor required in prolifera
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells are found within the tissues of the pancreas. The pancreas is a six-inch long, pear-shaped gland ...
Possible association between tooth loss and pancreatic cancer - Nutrition in Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality. It is mostly diagnosed at advanced stages, leading to low survival rates. Only a ...

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay