Learning About Pancreatic Cancer
- Dr. Erika Kube said a patient named Brian was experiencing itchiness across his body and unusual fatigue. After getting checked and undergoing a CT scan, doctors discovered a growth in his pancreas, near his liver.
- Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease that is difficult to detect because symptoms including jaundice and weight loss typically present at a later stage in the cancer's development.
- While symptoms of pancreatic cancer are known, there are still considerable challenges to screening for pancreatic cancer. This is mainly because the pancreas is located deep inside the body and therefore tumors aren't as prominent as they are with other types of cancer such as breasts or melanoma.
- However, research and clinical trials are still being done to make treatment options safe and accessible. When it comes to cancer awareness and treatment, knowledge is power and it is important to stay vigilant.
Dr. Erika Kube, who specializes in Emergency Medicine at Mid-Ohio Emergency Service in Colombus, Ohio, has opened up about how Brian’s symptoms led to his cancer diagnosis and how she reassured him the news is not a “death sentence.”
Read More“My physician assistant (PA) ordered labs and a CT scan of Brian's abdomen because she had noticed a slight yellowing of his skin and eyes. Brian's wife had not noticed his yellow skin until the PA asked her if his skin looked normal to her. He had some marks from scratching but there was no rash to explain his itching. His abdomen was soft and there were no areas that were tender to the touch,” Dr. Kube continued.
She explained a CT scan was ordered to check Brian’s abdomen to have a better understanding of why his skin was yellow. Dr. Kube said when the main bile duct that leads into the intestines is blocked, a build-up of bilirubin [an orange-yellow compound found in bile] can occur and can cause itching, which is the first symptom Brian noticed.
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After getting a call from the lab, Dr. Kube learned Brian’s liver tests were abnormal with an “elevated bilirubin level.”
“I got a phone call from the radiologist a short time later saying Brian had a mass in the head of his pancreas, right next to his liver, that was highly concerning for pancreatic cancer,” Dr. Kube said. “The mass was pressing against the common bile duct, which explained why his bilirubin levels were high.”
Luckily, the radiologist didn’t see any signs of cancer spreading to his liver or other organs, which led Dr. Kube to hope the cancer was found early and was able to be treated.
She note that Brian had only been a smoker for a few years when he was young and he didn’t have any significant risk factors or a family history of pancreatic cancer.
When she relayed the news to Brian and his wife, she recounted him asking if his diagnosis was a “death sentence.”
Dr Kube said, “While I could not give him exact numbers, I explained that I was hopeful the odds were in his favor since there was no evidence of spread of the cancer. I also explained that there are new treatments on the horizon with ongoing research.”
“I admitted Brian to the hospital so that he could meet with the oncologist and surgeon to confirm his diagnosis and determine the best treatment plan, which would likely involve surgery and chemotherapy,” Dr. Kube concluded. “He needed to undergo further testing to determine what treatment plan would offer him the best success.”
Pancreatic Cancer Detection
Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease that is difficult to detect because symptoms including jaundice and weight loss typically present at a later stage in the cancer's development. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Anirban Maitra, the co-leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center, explains what he typically sees when patients develop this disease.
"Because the pancreas is inside the abdomen often doesn't have symptoms that would tell you that something is wrong with your pancreas," he says. "By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain or diabetes, it's often very late in the stage of the disease."
Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial
Parents, siblings and children of someone with pancreatic cancer are considered high risk for developing the disease because they are first-degree relatives of the individual. PGVs (pathogenic germline variants) are changes in reproductive cells (sperm or egg) that become part of the DNA in the cells of the offspring. Germline variants are passed from parents to their children, and are associated with increased risks of several cancer types, including pancreatic, ovarian and breast cancers. Germline mutations in ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CKDN2A, PALB2, PRSS1, STK11 and TP53 are associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Jessica Everett, a genetic counselor at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, encourages people in this category to look into possible screening options.
"If you're concerned about pancreatic cancer in your family, start by talking to a genetic counselor to learn more about your risk and what options you have," Everett said.
Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms
With a five-year survival rate of just 9%, it's vital that pancreatic cancer is caught as early as possible. However, early detection is notoriously challenging for this disease, as symptoms often don't present themselves until the disease has already progressed into later stages.
"So the pancreas is an organ in your belly, and this is where pancreatic cancer arises," Dr. Maitra previously told SurvivorNet. "Because the pancreas is inside the abdomen, it often doesn't have symptoms that would tell you that something is wrong with your pancreas. By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain, or diabetes, it's often very late in the stage of the disease."
This being said, it's still possible to be vigilant about signs that something may be wrong. Here are the most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer:
- Abdominal bloating
- Abdominal or back pain
- Digestive problems
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- Changes in bowel movements
- Unexplained weight loss
- Blood clots (can cause swelling and tenderness in affected areas)
- Diabetes
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While symptoms of pancreatic cancer are known, there are still considerable challenges to screening for pancreatic cancer. This is mainly because the pancreas is located deep inside the body and therefore tumors aren't as prominent as they are with other types of cancer such as breasts or melanoma. However, research and clinical trials are still being done to make treatment options safe and accessible. When it comes to cancer awareness and treatment, knowledge is power and it is important to stay vigilant.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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