Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer Life Expectancy

The pancreas is a vital organ in the human body and is located inside the small intestine. They are responsible for the production of juices which break down food and hormones. This enables the body to produce insulin which regulates the body's energy needs. If cancerous growth is diagnosed in the pancreas it can be fatal. Medical science has classified the growth of cancer in 4 different stages. Early diagnosis of cancer is one of the keys to increasing the life expectancy of people suffering from cancer. Doctors will use diagnostic tests like ultrasound, CT scan and biopsy to try to detect cancer of the pancreas. Diagnosis is difficult as most cancer symptoms are synonymous with other illnesses. Pancreatic cancer patients will experience symptoms like upper abdominal pain, weight loss, jaundice, etc.

Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer

A cancer is classified as stage 4 if it has metastasized, meaning spread, to other parts of the body and is not restricted to the pancreas. It is further divided in two groups stage 4A and stage 4B. Pancreatic cancer classified as stage 4A is restricted to the pancreas and nearby blood vessels and organs. In stage 4B, the cancerous cells spread from the tissue of the pancreas to distant organs. Some of the vital organs that can get affected due to pancreatic cancer are the liver, lungs, spleen, stomach, etc.

When pancreatic cancer reaches this stage there are limited treatment options available. Unlike other stages of cancer, surgery is ruled out in stage 4 of pancreatic cancer and chemotherapy is preferred. However, chemotherapy is used as part of the pain management technique and not as a cure. In some cases, surgery will be done to alleviate some of the symptoms of the cancer to improve the quality of life in patients.

Survival Rate

Cancer life expectancy is commonly discussed in terms of a 5-year survival rate. This is used as a parameter to categorize patients who live more than 5 years after diagnosis. In America, fatalities related to pancreatic cancer were marked at 35,000 for the year 2009. As there are different stages of cancer, the life expectancy rate varies for these stages. Stage 4 has the lowest life expectancy rate, as the cancer affects other organs of the body in this stage. It is considered as a fatal stage for most types of cancer, but with proper treatment, life expectancy rate can increase. Lifestyle habits like smoking and alcohol consumption also play a part in the survival rate of patients.

People diagnosed as suffering from stage 4 pancreatic cancer have a very low survival rate, only 1 percent survive up to 5 years. This number, however, varies depending on a lot of factors like treatment options, health of the patient, and most importantly at which stage the diagnosis was done. The age of the patient at the time also plays an important role in deciding the expected survival rate in pancreatic cancer. It is therefore advisable to talk to the treating physician to check for an estimated life expectancy rate as it may vary from one individual to another. New drugs coming up in the market or currently under clinical trials are also expected to raise the life expectancy of stage 4 cancer patients.

Family members of patients suffering from cancer need to understand that these statistics are just for reference of the doctors, and each case is unique. Disease management techniques are evolving everyday along with the understanding of cancer and its development. All these are good signs in favor of the fight against this disease.