What is Pancreatic Cancer?

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What is Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer happens when abnormal cells start to grow Irregularly and they end up forming a tumor. You have 2 types of cells within the pancreas, the Endocrine and Exocrine; both which have different functions.
The pancreas is a 6-8 in (15-20 cm) long, slipper-shaped gland located in the abdomen. It lies behind the stomach, within a loop formed by the small intestine. Other nearby organs include the gallbladder, spleen, and liver. The pancreas has a wide end (head), a narrow end (tail), and a middle section (body). A healthy pancreas is important for normal food digestion and plays a critical role in the body's metabolic digestion.

The pancreas produces pancreatic juices containing enzymes that help break down proteins and fatty food. Endocrine tumors of the pancreas are very rare which account for only 5% of all pancreatic Cancers.
Pancreatic Cancer is a silent disease and because of this, by the time of detection the options for treatment are limited. Symptoms of this disease

can easily be confused with that of many others; and because of that it’s one of the deadliest and hard to treat types of cancers.
Leading causes of Pancreatic cancer are : smoking, genetics, diabetes and people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, are African American
• Have the BRCA2, p16, STK11 gene mutation or chronic pancreatitis
Are over the age of 50 If you are a female vs a male, have a history of this cancer in your family you are more at risk for developing Pancreatic Cancer.

Statistics show that only 5% of people diagnosed, with treatment will survive at the most 5 years. Sad, but unfortunately true!
Currently in the United States as of 2014
• 46,420 people (23,530 men and 22,890 women) will be diagn...

... middle of paper ...

...etrieved from Pancreatic cancer

5) Mitchum, R. (2009). Why Patrick Swayze’s cancer was so hard to treat. Science Life,

6) (2012). The sol Goldman pancreatic cancer research center. John Hopkins Medicine, Retrieved from http://pathology.jhu.edu/pc/basicintro.php?area=ba

7) Gallinger, S. (Oct 1, 2013). Diagnosis and management of pancreatic cancer. http://search.proquest.com.ezp-01.lirn.net/nursing/pubidlinkhandler/sng/pubtitle/Canadian Medical Association. Journal/$N/41339/DocView/1448781869/fulltext/7F8250CEA645FFPQ/3?accountid=158514, 1219-26, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp-01.lirn.net/nursing/docview/1448781869/7F8250CEA645FFPQ/3?accountid=158514(gallinger, Oct 1, 2013)
8) (2014). What is pancreatic cancer?. Pancreatic cancer, Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreaticcancer/detailedguide/pancreatic-cancer-what-is-pancreatic-cancer

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