Pancreatic cancer is one of the most serious types of cancer. It spreads rapidly and is seldom detected in its early stages, which is why it is a leading cause of cancer deaths. Recently, actor Patrick Swayze died, 20 months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Joseph Cullen, MD, gastrointestinal surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, talks about pancreatic cancer:
How common is pancreatic cancer?
In the state of Iowa, there will be about 350 deaths due to pancreatic cancer; and nationally, there'll be about 35,000 deaths due to pancreatic cancer.
Is there a particular population at risk to develop this type of cancer?
Some of the risk factors include patients who have had a history of chronic pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas. About 10 percent of cases in pancreatic cancer have a genetic predisposition, but that's actually quite rare. There aren't too many known risk factors.
When do the first signs of pancreatic cancer usually occur?
They usually occur late in the disease. That's one of the problems with pancreatic cancer, when the patient finally has symptoms, the tumor has spread.
What are the symptoms?
Some of the symptoms can be very vague. The classic one is a painless jaundice. Patient symptoms can be very vague: an upset stomach, nausea, heartburn, some ill-defined pain in their abdomen.
Is there currently any way to detect this type of cancer before a person experiences symptoms?
A CT scan can be helpful in diagnosing the pancreatic cancer early. However, many times the symptom has gone for months until the patient has developed severe symptoms. Then some tests are done, and usually it's too late by that time.
What are the treatment options for cancer of the pancreas?
The only chance for a cure is surgery to remove the head of the pancreas—or a part of the pancreas—and a number of structures around the pancreas. However, only about 10 percent of patients actually qualify for that operation. Other treatment modalities include chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
What is the long-term survival rate of a person diagnosed with pancreatic cancer today?
From the time of diagnosis to the time of death is an average of about nine months, so it's pretty poor. If a patient does have surgery—a secured operation—they can have up to 20 percent five-year survival.
Is University of Iowa involved in any research with regard to pancreatic cancer?
Yes, a lot of research is going on. Including looking at a number of drugs that kill the pancreatic cancer cells—but don't harm the body—using various techniques, and there's a lot of hope and promise. We have some clinical trials with those drugs at The University of Iowa. |
