What Causes Pancreatic Cancer?

What causes pancreatic cancer? It is not possible to indicate the exact causes of the development of pancreatic cancer. However, certain risk factors are known.

Chronic pancreatitis
A chronic inflammation of the pancreas gives an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Such inflammation is called pancreatitis. This can be due to too much alcohol consumption. Do you have chronic pancreatitis? Then it is important that you know that you have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. The complaints with pancreatitis are very similar to the symptoms of pancreatic cancer. And in case you have pancreatic cancer, the chance of healing is greater when it is discovered earlier.

Other pancreatic cancer causes risk factors

• Research shows that smoking, drinking a lot of alcohol and type 2 diabetes increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
• People with pancreatic cysts have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. A cyst is a cavity filled with moisture. Cysts in the pancreas are usually discovered by chance.

Heredity and DNA

• There are indications that hereditary predisposition plays a role in at least 5% of patients.
• People with hereditary melanoma have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer: from 15 to 20%.
• People with Von Hippel Lindau disease have a small chance of getting pancreatic cancer.

Treatment of pancreatic cancer



You can receive the following treatments:

• surgery to remove the tumor 
• chemotherapy
• irradiation
• can the doctor no longer give treatment to treat the tumor? But do you suffer from jaundice? Then the doctor can place a tube (stent) to fix the closure of the bile ducts

Does the study show that the tumor can be removed? Then you will get an operation that is healing on purpose. Unfortunately, surgery does not guarantee cure because pancreatic cancer has poor prospects.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive type of cancer. It is usually only discovered at a late stage. The symptoms at the beginning of the disease are usually very vague. Especially with a tumor in the middle or tail part of the pancreas.
The disease was discovered by more than three-quarters of the people, and/or too far in the blood vessels around the pancreas. For most patients with pancreatic cancer, the chances of survival are limited.

In the end, only a quarter of all patients with pancreatic cancer receive treatment that is purposely curative. The treatment of pancreatic cancer is therefore in most patients only aimed at reducing the symptoms: palliative treatment.

In addition to the above treatments, you can sometimes take part in treatments in a research context ( trials ).

Prevention of pancreatic cancer

Completely prevention of pancreatic cancer risk is not possible, but everyone can greatly reduce the chance of tumor formation.To do this, you should definitely follow the simple rules of prevention, which must be adhered to at a young age.



Power
Wrong diet - one of the negative factors affecting health. It has been proven that the incidence of cancer is higher in the rich countries, due to the excessive consumption of fatty foods. For the prevention of pancreatic cancer possible to give up fast food should are, limit the amount of meat and bakery products. Fried, salt, sweet food moderately. Preferable must be given fruit, vegetables, fish, various poult. You can eat lean meats: poultry, rabbit, lean beef. Also important and proper nutrition it is better to eat more often, but small portions.

Refusal of bad habits
For the prevention of pancreatic cancer, it is desirable to limit the consumption of alcohol and to stop smoking. What causes pancreatic cancer alcohol? Studies show that alcohol addiction leads to hyperplastic changes in the pancreas channels, which is considered a predisposing factor for the development of tumors. To advise experts to review the current lifestyle, low levels of physical activity has a negative impact on health Moderate charges and constantly fresh air stimulate human immunity. Also, if possible, it is desirable to refuse to work in a hostile environment (eg asbestos dust).
  
Health Care
Regular preventive monitoring of the pancreas and other organs help in time to suspect a violation and take appropriate action.If you have certain conditions, you must be so careful. People with diabetes suffering from pancreatic cancer are more often than others, so not the neglect medical recommendations. Early treatment is imperative for individuals suffering from chronic pancreatitis and biliary tract diseases of all kinds. Especially careful to people who have benign tumors of the pancreas.

Mental
Found that often enough cancer in persons with an unstable mental condition. Constant stress can have a negative effect on the body as a whole. Negative emotions cannot save you. Sometimes, to prevent it is better to seek the help of a psychologist or that independent training.

*Image source : Wikimedia Commons

References :

1. National Cancer Institute
2. Kanker.nl
3. Treatsimply.com