Pancreas｜Source: Getty Images Bank
The pancreas (pancreas) is a digestive organ located between the tip of the umbilicus and the navel. It secretes digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and hormones such as insulin that regulate blood sugar. It is divided into three parts, the head, the body, and the tail, and the part closest to the duodenum is the head. Pancreatic cancer is the formation of a tumor in the pancreas made of cancer cells. There are several types of pancreatic cancer, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is usually referred to as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, because pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma accounts for about 90% of the cases.
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer can vary depending on where and stage of the cancer in the pancreas. 70% of pancreatic cancers occur in the head of the pancreas, causing painless jaundice, weight loss, nausea and vomiting. Regarding pancreatic cancer in the trunk and tail, Lee Seung-ho (Neulsokpyeon Oriental Medicine Clinic), a gastroenterology consultant at Hidak, said, “It is difficult to detect early because there are no symptoms in the early stages.” There is a high possibility that it has infiltrated into surrounding organs,” he said.
In the early stages of pancreatic cancer, weight loss, back and back pain, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, newly diagnosed diabetes, abdominal bloating, changes in bowel habits such as constipation, drowsiness, itching, shoulder pain, and jaundice appear. Because there are no special symptoms, even if pancreatic cancer has occurred, many patients are unaware of it.
According to data released by the National Health Insurance Corporation, 20,818 people were treated for pancreatic cancer in 2020. This is an increase of 29.4% from 16,086 people in 2016, with an average annual increase rate of 6.7%. In 2020, the age group with the largest number of patients was in their 60s, accounting for 30.1% of the total. Those in their 70s were followed by 29.7%, and those in their 80s or older with 16.6%. The number of males increased by 30.0% from 8,264 in 2016 to 10,741 in 2020, and the number of females increased by 28.8% from 7,822 in 2016 to 10,077 in 2020.
Professor Jin-ho Lee of the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery at National Health Insurance Ilsan Hospital said, “The incidence of pancreatic cancer continues to increase every year. Regarding this, he explained, “It seems to be due to the increase in the obese or diabetic population due to the increase in income and changes in eating habits, the increase in the smoking population, the rapid increase in the elderly population, and the generalization of imaging diagnosis.”
Pancreas｜Source: Getty Images Bank
The cause of pancreatic cancer is still unknown. It is assumed that genetic and environmental factors are involved in a complex way. The strongest environmental factor is smoking. It is known that smoking accounts for 20-25% of all pancreatic cancer cases. In addition, long-term type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to the general population. In some patients, diabetes can be caused by pancreatic cancer. In particular, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer is high in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes within 1 year, and in patients with diabetes with sudden onset at an older age. Other risk factors include obesity and chronic pancreatitis.
To cure pancreatic cancer, surgery is required to remove the cancerous tissue. However, to be eligible for pancreatic cancer surgery, the cancer must be in stage I or II without invasion of surrounding blood vessels and distant metastasis to the liver or lungs. However, it is still difficult to detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage, so only 30% of diagnosed patients can undergo surgery. 80-90% of patients who cannot be completely resected. Therefore, if pancreatic cancer is diagnosed and resection is possible, it is recommended to actively undergo surgery and chemotherapy. In addition, adjuvant radiation therapy is available, but its effectiveness has not been clearly established. Hormone therapy and immunotherapy are also being actively studied, but their effectiveness has not been established.
According to a study using data from the National Health Insurance Corporation, even in elderly patients over the age of 80, when a patient who can tolerate surgery undergoes surgery, the effect is similar to that in patients with a lower age. Therefore, it is better not to give up surgery or chemotherapy even in old age. In addition, even if surgical treatment is impossible at the time of cancer diagnosis, it is important not to give up treatment because receiving conservative treatment is a way to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life.
There is still no clear way to prevent pancreatic cancer. Therefore, known risk factors should be prevented by eliminating or avoiding them from daily life. First, the incidence of pancreatic cancer is reported 2 to 5 times higher in smokers, so if you are a smoker, you should quit smoking immediately. In addition, alcohol is the most common cause of pancreatitis, and a history of pancreatitis increases the risk of pancreatic cancer, so you should avoid or avoid alcohol. In addition, it is basic to maintain an appropriate weight by improving eating habits such as avoiding high-fat and high-calorie meals and eating a lot of fruits and vegetables.
Help = Hidak Consulting Doctor Seungho Lee (Neulsokpyeon Oriental Medicine Clinic Gastroenterology Specialist)
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