Bago died of pancreatic cancer: Why is pancreatic cancer difficult to detect early? 4 symptoms are warning signs for the pancreas
It is reported that the well-known entertainer and host Bago died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 68. Pancreatic cancer ranks seventh among the top ten cancer deaths in Taiwan. The main risk factors are smoking, drinking, obesity and diabetes. According to cancer registration data in 2017, 2,469 people were initially diagnosed with pancreatic malignant tumors, and the number of deaths was as high as 2,082. In terms of the ratio of deaths to confirmed cases alone, the one-year mortality rate exceeds 80%. The 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer is generally only about 1%-5%, making it a cancer with a very unsatisfactory prognosis.
Is it difficult to detect pancreatic cancer early? What checking tools are available now?
Dr. Luo Hongyuan, director of Beitou Health Management Hospital, said in an interview with “healthorn” that there are several reasons why pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect early. The first is that the pancreas is in the center of the human body, with the stomach in front and spine in the back, and on both sides are the liver, Spleen and other organs. Generally, primary examination tools such as ultrasound are often easily blocked by abdominal gastrointestinal gas during examination, making it difficult to accurately observe the status of the pancreas.
Another common screening tool is the pancreatic cancer tumor indicator (CA19-9). However, most of those whose indicators are elevated in blood tests do not have pancreatic cancer, and there will be false positives when used to diagnose cancer. Pancreatic cancer tumor indicators are currently mostly auxiliary. If the pancreas is found to be abnormal during imaging examinations and the tumor indicators are elevated, pancreatic tumors can be highly suspected.
Dr. Luo Hongyuan said that the current non-invasive pancreatic examination tools with acceptable results are MRI or computed tomography. However, it is still difficult to find very early pancreatic cancer because of the tissue of the pancreas itself. Being thin and rich in blood flow, tumor cells can easily spread to other tissues along with lymph and blood, making early detection more difficult.
In addition, “endoscopic ultrasound” is also used clinically to examine the condition of the pancreas. This is an ultrasound examination that looks like an endoscope. It can be placed in the stomach to observe the condition of the pancreas at a closer distance. However, the examination takes a long time and is an invasive tool. Most imaging examinations and biopsy tests are performed only when there is a suspected problem with the pancreas. It is not a universal screening tool for pancreatic cancer.
Beware of four signs of pancreatic cancer without obvious symptoms
Dr. Luo Hongyuan said that early pancreatic cancer has no obvious symptoms. Clinically, patients may have several symptoms. The first symptom is stomach pain. Because the pancreas is behind the stomach, patients may easily think it is stomach pain or gastritis. The second symptom is back pain. Because the pancreas is located in front of the spine, it is often mistaken for back pain or lumbar spine-related diseases.
Because the head of the pancreas is connected to the bile duct, when the pancreatic tumor is too large and compresses the bile duct, bile cannot be discharged, causing jaundice symptoms such as yellowing of the eyes and skin. In addition, patients with pancreatic cancer may also lose weight or be newly diagnosed with diabetes. This is because pancreatic cancer is related to sugar metabolism. Pancreatic tumors may affect blood sugar control, thereby affecting weight.
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