Don't Ignore Symptoms
- Patrick Swayze’s wife says he didn’t immediately want to go to the doctor after presenting symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
- Symptoms of pancreatic cancer can include jaundice, back pain, and abdominal pain.
- By the time signs of the disease show up, the cancer has often already advanced.
It’s been 11 years since the Dirty Dancing legend passed away from pancreatic cancer at 57-years-old. However, Niemi hasn’t stopped raising awareness about the disease. In honor of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Niemi shares the experience watching her beloved battle cancer, and pushing him to visit a doctor.
Read MoreJaundice, yellowing of skin or eyes, is a common side-effect of pancreatic cancer. However, these symptoms often don’t present themselves until the cancer has already spread throughout the body and diagnosed in later stages. This is one of the reasons why pancreatic cancer is so hard to treat.
Dr. Anirban Maitra says detecting pancreatic cancer early is crucial
Detecting Pancreatic Cancer
Some of the main symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer may include jaundice, weight gain, back pain, or diabetes. However, in Swayze’s case, abdominal pain may also occur. By the time these signs start popping up, it means the disease has progressed to later stages. According to Dr. Anirban Maitra, co-leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center, 80% of pancreatic cancer cases are diagnosed in late stages.
“Because the pancreas is inside the abdomen, it often doesn’t have symptoms that would tell you that something is wrong with your pancreas,” Dr. Maitra tells SurvivorNet. “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.”
Related: Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial
The location of the pancreas also makes it extremely difficult to successfully screen for the disease. Unlike cancer screenings for other types of cancers such as breast, lung, or prostate, there are significant challenges to catching this cancer early. When the disease is caught in advanced stages, this can limit treatment options.
Dr. Anirban Maitra breaks down challenges to screening for pancreatic cancer
Don’t Ignore Symptoms
When something in your body feels off, it never hurts to talk to a doctor about it. However, this is often easier said than done. Unlike women, who will report symptoms to their doctor but sometimes be brushed off, men sometimes ignore a doctor visit as long as possible.
This was the case for testicular cancer survivor Todd Rosenbluth, who was one of those guys who avoided the doctor at all costs. He led a healthy lifestyle, so he reasoned with himself that a routine check-up wasn’t really necessary. It was Todd’s wife who pushed him to schedule a visit, and it ended up being be the best decision he could have made. Now, he’s an advocate for early detection.
“My wife definitely saved my life,” Todd tells SurvivorNet. “Luckily when I caught the testicular cancer it was so early that I’m totally fine to this day, and it’s because of her. Testicular cancer is 99% curable if it’s caught early enough. The only way to catch it is self exam or go to the doctor. If you’re worried don’t be ashamed, guys. Go to the doctor.”
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