Pancreatic Cancer risk: Know symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment

Pancreatic cancer is often called the ‘silent killer’ because it tends to show minimal and indistinct symptoms in its early stage which becomes challenging to detect in the first stage.

Pancreatic cancer begins in the pancreas which is located behind the stomach, and helps with digestion and producing hormones. In India, Pancreatic cancer is very common and stands as the 11th most common type of cancer in the country.

Dr Shriniwas Kulkarni, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospital, Hadapsar, Pune shared with News9, “Pancreatic cancer is a serious illness that is frequently detected at an advanced stage, making a successful course of therapy difficult. This article will examine pancreatic cancer symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and available treatments.

Early identification is vital since pancreatic cancer is a serious illness that is frequently identified too late. See your physician as soon as possible if you encounter any of the symptoms listed. Consult with surgical or medical

oncologists to decide what the best course of action is. Recall that early detection is crucial to the effectiveness of therapy for pancreatic cancer.

What are the causes of Pancreatic Cancer?

Dr Kulkarni explained, “The three main risk factors for pancreatic cancer are alcoholism, smoking, and chronic pancreatitis. Genetic predisposition is recognized as one of the factors contributing to pancreatic cancer, and pancreatic cancer is also known to be linked with mutations in the BRCA2 gene.

Swelling of the pancreas brought on by chronic pancreatitis eventually results in the development of cancer cells. Notably, cancer frequently starts in the pancreatic head and compresses the liver tubes, resulting in symptoms like jaundice.”