Early Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer Non-existent
Early symptoms of pancreatic cancer are virtually non-existent in women. As a result, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death behind breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer in women. According to Dr. Suresh Cari of the Mayo Clinic, the high fatality rate associated with the disease is due primarily to the fact that the disease usually remains undiagnosed until it is in the late stages of its progression. Less than 20% of patients are within the range of time where the disease may still be curable when they are diagnosed.
The Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins University (http://pathology.jhu.edu) points to DNA mutations as the cause of pancreatic cancer. The center points out several ways in which the DNA sustains damage that may lead to the development of pancreatic cancer: genetically-inherited mutations, behavior related damage, or incidental damage occurring as a part of normal cell activity.
Genetically, women and men inherit two copies of each gene in their bodies from parents. One copy of their genes comes symptoms of pancreatic cancer from the mother and the other from the father. Sometimes one of those copies may be mutated at birth. At some point during that person’s life, the good copy may become damaged, leaving that person with two damaged copies of the same cell. The result is the generation of a cancer cell which will then begin to spread to other cells. While the inheritance of genetically mutated DNA does not guarantee development of the disease, it significantly increases the chances that the disease will occur.
Behavioral damage most often occurs as a result of damage caused by carcinogens in cigarette smoke. If the carcinogens damage a key cancer-associated gene, then cancer of the pancreas may be imminent. Additionally, the symptoms of other smoking-related conditions like the loss of appetite and weight loss may mask the symptoms of pancreatic cancer leading to the delay of diagnosis until after pancreatic cancer stage 4 symptoms begin to appear.
Incidental damage to DNA refers to naturally occurring cell division within the body. As humans procreate, cell division occurs in order to produce copies of ourselves in the form of our children. Occasionally, a cancer-associated gene will be copied with errors and be transferred to children.
Pancreatic cancer symptoms in women often mimic common ailments and are not readily identified as cancer indicators. The best option for early detection is performance of an endoscopic ultrasound which can facilitate detection of pancreatic cancer in its formative stages. This tool has eclipsed the ubiquitous CT scan, which is only possible of detecting pancreatic cancer in later stages, and often is not performed until pancreatic cancer stage 4 symptoms are apparent. Pancreatic cancer stage 4 symptoms (http://www.pancreatic-tumors.com) include:
? abdominal pain or back pain. Pain in the abdomen or in the back associated with pancreatic cancer by a tumor(s) that has grown large enough to push against surrounding organs
? anorexia (loss of appetite and weight loss). Weight loss, common to all forms of cancer, occurs as cancer cells compete with normal cells for the body’s nutrients. Also, tumors that are present will work to restrict digestion.
? fever and chills. Obstruction of bile ducts which can lead to infection pancreatic cancer symptoms in women is common during the advanced stages of the disease. Fever and/or chills are a result of the body’s immune response to infections.
? itchiness. Again, obstruction of the bile ducts can result in severe itching sensations across the body.
? jaundice. Visible yellowing of the eyes and skin and claying of the stool will occur as tumor(s) grow into the head of the pancreas and block bile ducts, preventing bile from entering the digestive tract.
? urine discoloration. Accumulation of bile in the urine will darken the color of the urine. This symptom is often mistaken for dehydration.
Because pancreatic cancer is so difficult to detect in its early stages, it is important for women symptoms of pancreatic cancer in women in risk groups to be proactive and engage in active checkups which targeting pancreatic detection. The National Cancer Institute places the median age of diagnosis at 73 years of age, long after the disease has become intractable. At this stage, the five-year survival rate is less than 1% as opposed to between 18-24% if detected early.