two days ago i found out a very close friend has pancreatic cancer, that has blocked her bile duct and spread to her liver. we haven’t been told much more than she’s terminal.
about 18 months ago she was diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor said with the progression of this nasty disease he would fit it within the time frame of the diabetes diagnosis. i have read diabetics have a 20% higher chance of developing pancreatic cancer. my father is also a diabetic and he has never been made aware of the increase chance of developing pancreatic cancer, i believe there needs to be more information available, as there isn’t many symptoms until its too late for too many.
she was taken to the hospital on Saturday as she had turned yellow and had been suffering gastro for 2 weeks straight and very dark urine, back and abdominal pain especially while laying, she has also lost 10kg in 1 week. the doctors then done a x-ray and ultrasound thinking it was gall stones blocking her bile duct, that’s when they detected lumps in her liver. we were told possibly tumors or gall stones so she had a ct scan on Monday which confirmed pancreatic cancer.
by what i have read i say she is in stage IVB as it has spread to the liver, the doctors haven’t told us much information. she successfully had a stint put in the bile duct today.
Im just searching for any information on what anybody might have for me and the family, what to expect etc…….. the doctors said they will give us some time to comprehend this information then start discussing treatment, obviously we know there is no cure and the treatments will only prolong her life.
she is a strong beautiful woman who is staying strong, which is helping the rest of us to stay strong for her.
Answered by: Maria/MD Health Forum.com Team
Thank you for your question. Finding out that a loved one has a severe illness is very distressing. I sincerely hope that you and your friend’s family continue to stay strong. Below are some information about pancreatic cancer.
The pancreas is an organ in the abdomen which has glands that carry out important functions. It produces enzymes that are needed for digestion. The hormones insulin and glucagon, which help control blood sugar are also made in the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer, or exocrine cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the tissues of the pancreas.
There are a number of factors that are thought to increase one’s risk of pancreatic cancer. These include diabetes, chronic inflammation of the pancreas, family history of pancreatic cancer, genetic mutations, obesity, smoking and increasing age.
Pancreatic cancer is known to spread rapidly and it is difficult to diagnose in its early stages, this is the main reason why it is among the leading causes of cancer death. The survival rates of patients with pancreatic cancer is quite low. Based on the data from the American Cancer Society’s website, the survival rate is 20% 1 year after diagnosis, while less than 4% of patients will be alive after 5 years.
Early tumors in the pancreas cannot be detected during routine physical examinations because the pancreas is located deep inside the abdominal cavity. There are no blood tests that can detect early stages of pancreatic cancer. Signs and symptoms may not be evident until the cancer has spread to other organs. In most cases, the malignancy has already progressed to the point where surgical treatment is no longer possible.
If the pancreatic cancer is detected at stage IV, the prognosis is often poor.The survival averages at three to six months. It’s been estimated that only 1 percent of stage IV cancer will still live after 5 years after diagnosis. Generally, the cancer at this advanced stage can not be removed surgically, making the disease often difficult to control.
Pancreatic cancer at stage IVB, means that the cancer has spread to distant sites such as the stomach, spleen, colon, or the liver. Managing stage IV cancer is often aimed at controlling symptoms and the pain that accompanies the disease. To slow the spread of cancer cells and to relieve symptoms, chemotherapy might be recommended. You can find information about chemotherapy on the American Cancer Society’s website. Chemotherapy has been shown to benefit about 25% of patients, helping them feel better and possibly gain weight.
If chemotherapy will be considered, you should tell your friend to talk to their doctors about the benefits and risks of this form of treatment. Doctors may suggest participating in a clinical trial which help determine if the new drugs chemotherapy drugs or new combination of treatment are beneficial to patients.
References:
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/type/pancreatic-cancer/treatment/chemotherapy-for-pancreatic-cancer
http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~Nr_SSnTgUH5Uu#H6
http://www.oncologychannel.com/pancreaticcancer/risk-factors.shtml
http://www.ufscc.ufl.edu/Patient/content.aspx?section=ufscc&id=892
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2x.asp?sitearea=&dt=34
Tags: pacreatic cancer, Stage IVB
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