Pancreatic Cancer: The Silent Killer with Subtle Symptoms

Pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3 percent of all cancers, but it causes around 7 percent of all cancer deaths. In 2022, the World Health Organization estimated roughly 500,000 new cases and 470,000 deaths from pancreatic cancer, making it the sixth most common cause of cancer death that year.That’s almost a one-to-one ratio, meaning most people diagnosed don’t survive long-term. " It is one of the cancer types with the least favourable prognosis," the WHO has said.Part of the reason pancreatic cancer is so deadly is that it’s sneaky. Early stages rarely show symptoms. When people notice pain, jaundice, or unexplained weight loss, the cancer is often already advanced. Screening isn’t easy.Cancer is curable if detected early: Signs to pay attention to“Pancreatic cancer is a disease that begins in the pancreas, an organ that helps regulate our digestion and blood sugar levels.This type of cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow in the pancreas and form tumours that often arise in the ducts that carry digestive enzymes. In other types of pancreatic tumor (Neuroendocrine tumor/ NET), the cancer cells interfere with hormones such as insulin and glucagon produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar.As the cancer cells start to grow, people suffering from the disease experience symptoms like weight loss, pain in the back and abdomen, jaundice, dark urine, pale stools and issues with digestion,” says Dr.by Taboolaby TaboolaSponsored LinksSponsored LinksPromoted LinksPromoted LinksYou May LikeBook Golf Suites and Penthouses from 6.5 Cr* on Dwarka EXP.M3M St. AndrewsLearn MoreUndoRaghavendra Nagaraja, Senior Consultant – GI & HPB Surgery, Liver Transplantation, KIMS Hospitals, Bangalore.“Because the organ is deep inside the body, these symptoms often appear late. Furthermore, myths surrounding the disease also delay awareness and prevent early intervention, which impacts the outcomes. The pancreas is closely related to main blood vessels supplying the whole of the small intestine, stomach and liver.When cancers arising from them present late, they end up involving these blood vessels making them not amenable to curative treatment,” he explains.November is observed as Pancreatic cancer awareness month to educate people about the disease and to debunk the myths associated with it. Dr. Raghavendra Nagaraja sheds light on the common myths associated with pancreatic cancer.Pancreatic cancer only affects older people; however, younger individuals are also at risk.It causes severe pain at the start, but the truth is that signs and symptoms may be subtle; any form of discomfort is usually mild or absent.Many people consider pancreatic cancer a hereditary disease, ignoring lifestyle and metabolic factors. Such individuals also believe that if their routine blood test is normal, their pancreas must be healthy; however, this is not entirely true.⁠Pancreatic cancer is not curable- not true. When recognised early/ even when it spreads to involve adjacent expendable structures / vessels which may be reconstructed, surgery is still feasible and cure, particularly with new age chemotherapy is attainable.“Pancreatic cancer progresses silently. The absence of dramatic symptoms in the early stages can lead to false reassurance.Recognising patterns instead of isolated symptoms is critical, especially when changes persist over time. Early recognition is important since it helps them get curative treatment,” he has urged people.Medical experts consultedThis article includes expert inputs shared with TOI Health by:Dr. Raghavendra Nagaraja, Senior Consultant – GI & HPB Surgery, Liver Transplantation, KIMS Hospitals, BangaloreInputs were used to explain why pancreatic cancer is detected so late and what are the subtle symptoms one should pay attention to.