CuraScript SD - Take Action Against Pancreatic Cancer

Take Action Against Pancreatic Cancer

Posted Friday, November 14, 2014

210,000 PEOPLE DIAGNOSED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS

92% of Those Diagnosed Will Pass Away in the First Year

DID YOU KNOW?
Pancreatic cancer is the only cancer out of the top 24 with a survival rate in the single digits past the first year after diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the top four deadly cancers, and is one of the few cancers whose prognosis hasn’t improved over the past 25 years. The Pancreas is a gland that sits behind your stomach and above your small intestine. The pancreas is responsible for both producing enzymes that help with digestion, and producing the hormones used to regulate blood sugar. As of today there are very few options for screening with pancreatic cancer, routine screenings are not advised because they have not shown to increase the survival rate of those with cancer.

Know Your Risk

While the exact cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown, there are a number of factors that can increase your risk.

Smoking – According to a study from the European Journal of Cancer, smoking
can increase your likeliness of cancer by 20%.
Diabetes – pancreatic cancer is more likely to develop in people with long-standing diabetes, but new-onset diabetes in people over 50 can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer.
Obesity – there is a 20% higher instance of the disease in those who
are overweight.
Race – There is higher instance of this disease in African Americans than
other races.
Gender – Men are slightly more likely to be diagnosed than women.

While there is no regular screening for pancreatic cancer, it’s important to discuss with your patients if there is an increased risk. Pancreatic cancer often shows no early warning signs, so it is important to know the risks. To help calculate your risk, take the Siteman Cancer Center Risk Assessment: yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/YDRDefault.aspx?ScreenControl=YDRGeneral&ScreenName=YDRpancreatic

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References

http://www.pancan.org/section-facing-pancreatic-cancer/learn-about-pan-cancer/risk-factors/

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreaticcancer/detailedguide/pancreatic-cancer-detection

http://www.keepmecurrent.com/maine_women/diane_atwood/catching-health-taking-action-against-pancreatic-cancer/article_de62856a-53db-11e4-b332-7fd8cbeed5d7.html

http://www.pancan.org/section-facing-pancreatic-cancer/learn-about-pan-cancer/what-is-the-pancreas/