Pancreatic Cancer Essay
Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive type of cancer that will be diagnosed in approximately 53,070 Americans this year alone; 41,780 will die of it. (1) The pancreas is an organ essential in maintaining homeostasis in the body, it secretes hormones and enzymes that help us in the digestion of fats. Due to its “invasiveness, rapid progression and profound resistance to treatment” (3), pancreatic cancer is the fourth cause of cancer death in the United States.
Although there is not a sole cause of pancreatic cancer, significant parts of cancer biology help us understand the development of it. (4) Pancreatic cancer begins when there is a mutation in the DNA inside of the pancreas. There are multiple ways that this DNA can be mutated. First, pancreatic cancer …show more content…
can occur when a person receives a copy of DNA with a mutation of a cancer associated gene from their parents. (4) Next, our behavior can influence the chances of developing pancreatic cancer. Smoking, lack of exercise and bad diet are a few factors that have the ability of damaging cancer associated genes and subsequently lead to cancer. Pancreatic cancer can also rise from chance alone. The countless cells in the pancreas are constantly dividing, therefore there is bound to be some type of error. Cancer occurs when the cells irregulary divide and do not complete apoptosis- the programmed death of cells.
The main reason for pancreatic cancer’s high mortality rate is that symptoms do not usually appear until the tumor is too far developed for any action to be successful.
Symptoms include jaundice, weight loss, and abdominal pain, but these usually only arise when the cancer is at a late stage. (2) If the cancer is found early enough, surgery to remove 95 percent of the pancreas can be performed. (2) However, only a mere 10-15 percent of patients are operable by the time of the diagnosis and the cancer will return 85 percent of the time. (2) Although it is possible for a patient to live without a fully functioning pancreas, they will likely still die due to metastasis- the spread of cancer throughout the body. By the time most cases of pancreatic cancer are discovered, the cancer has already metastasized to other parts of the body. In conclusion, pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly types of cancer with a 5 year survival rate of only 3 percent. (3) By the time a diagnosis is made, it is usually too late for the patient to receive any successful treatment. Surgery or other treatment may be performed to better the overall quality of life for the patient, but it very rarely ever defeats the cancer
itself.
Although there is not a sole cause of pancreatic cancer, significant parts of cancer biology help us understand the development of it. (4) Pancreatic cancer begins when there is a mutation in the DNA inside of the pancreas. There are multiple ways that this DNA can be mutated. First, pancreatic cancer …show more content…
can occur when a person receives a copy of DNA with a mutation of a cancer associated gene from their parents. (4) Next, our behavior can influence the chances of developing pancreatic cancer. Smoking, lack of exercise and bad diet are a few factors that have the ability of damaging cancer associated genes and subsequently lead to cancer. Pancreatic cancer can also rise from chance alone. The countless cells in the pancreas are constantly dividing, therefore there is bound to be some type of error. Cancer occurs when the cells irregulary divide and do not complete apoptosis- the programmed death of cells.
The main reason for pancreatic cancer’s high mortality rate is that symptoms do not usually appear until the tumor is too far developed for any action to be successful.
Symptoms include jaundice, weight loss, and abdominal pain, but these usually only arise when the cancer is at a late stage. (2) If the cancer is found early enough, surgery to remove 95 percent of the pancreas can be performed. (2) However, only a mere 10-15 percent of patients are operable by the time of the diagnosis and the cancer will return 85 percent of the time. (2) Although it is possible for a patient to live without a fully functioning pancreas, they will likely still die due to metastasis- the spread of cancer throughout the body. By the time most cases of pancreatic cancer are discovered, the cancer has already metastasized to other parts of the body. In conclusion, pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly types of cancer with a 5 year survival rate of only 3 percent. (3) By the time a diagnosis is made, it is usually too late for the patient to receive any successful treatment. Surgery or other treatment may be performed to better the overall quality of life for the patient, but it very rarely ever defeats the cancer
itself.