Pancreatic Cancer Stages

The pancreas is one of the seven endocrine glands in our body. It has its location in an area that lies behind the lower section of the stomach, in a horizontal position. The main purpose of the gland is to secrete certain hormones which aid the body in the process of sugar metabolism. Now the tissues of this very essential gland may develop cancer due to certain reasons. And the most unfortunate fact about the condition is that, it is seldom detected in its early stages. And even if it gets diagnosed early, it has a poor prognosis. This is the reason why the disorder is known to be among the major causes of cancer death. Also, by the time the symptoms show up, the condition has already reached such a stage, wherein surgical removal of the gland is not possible.

Staging of Pancreatic Cancer

Stage #1
At the infant stage, the cancer is diagnosed to have affected only the pancreas and not any other organs in the body.

Stage #2
Upon making its progress to the stage 2, the cancer starts affecting the organs such as the duodenum or bile duct. However, the lymph nodes are not affected.

Stage #3
When the lymph nodes get affected by the cancer, it indicates that the disease has made its way into the third stage. There lurks a possibility of the cancer affecting the nearby organs, as well.

Stage #4
This is the end stage of pancreatic cancer, and it is of two types. In one type, the cancer spreads to organs such as the spleen, large intestine, and stomach. These organs are located near the pancreas. In the other type, not only these organs are affected, but even those which are far away from the gland get affected. These may include the liver or the lungs. Here, the cancer is known to have metastasized.

Symptoms

Pancreatic cancer may be regarded as asymptomatic, as there aren't any signs or symptoms until the disease has reached to an advanced stage. But when they do occur, they include a pain that occurs in the upper abdominal area and seems to radiate to the back, jaundice (characterized by yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes), poor appetite and unintended weight loss. Some patients may also experience depression and blood clots in some cases, apart from the above symptoms.

Treatment Measures

The treatment for pancreas cancer largely depends upon the location and stage of the cancer. The patient's age and preferences are also taken into account. The goal of the treatment is centered around the motive of eliminating the cancer. However, when the disease becomes irreversible, doctors concentrate on preventing the cancer from progressing further or causing more harm. The procedures involved in the treatment includes surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.

As far as the life expectancy is concerned, after the diagnosis is made at a later stage, the number comes up to 5 to 10 months. However, there have been cases wherein patients have lived for more than that.

Although there is no specific way to prevent pancreatic cancer, there are steps which may help to lessen the risk of developing it. These may include shunning smoking, maintaining healthy weight, aiming for regular exercise daily, and inculcating a healthy diet.