▲ Comparison of diagnostic methods and tools for pancreatic cancer. (Watchmaking: Zeng Shengen)
Text / Zeng Shengen
▲A doctor performs an abdominal ultrasound examination; the picture is a situational photo, and the patient in the picture is not related to this article. (Photo provided / Zeng Shengen)
Pancreatic cancer is a disgusting change, ranking 7th among the top 10 causes of cancer deaths in China. However, most of the early symptoms are difficult to identify, and the diagnosis is usually in the late stage. If you have abnormal symptoms such as jaundice or oily stools, you should be vigilant, and don’t be afraid to avoid the doctor.
▲The doctor performs an endoscopic ultrasound examination; the picture is a situational photo, and the patient in the picture has nothing to do with this article. (Photo provided / Zeng Shengen)
Lost weight, back pain when lying flat, jaundice, oily stools
The 80-year-old grandma Huang found that there were suspected signs of tumor in the tail of the pancreas in an external hospital in October last year, but she did not open the operation immediately after various considerations and hesitation. In February this year, she was referred to the outpatient clinic, but the cancer has progressed to the fourth stage The cells spread further to the bones, lungs, and liver, missing the opportunity for early treatment.
The pancreas is divided into three parts: head, body and tail. Depending on the location of the tumor, different symptoms will appear. If it occurs in the body and tail, it may compress the nerves, causing pain in the epigastrium and around the navel, and intense pain. Severe pain can produce metastases, extending to the back.
Because the pancreas is located in the posterior abdominal cavity, which is the deepest part of the abdomen, the pain will be relieved when the patient bends over, but as long as the patient lies flat, it will compress the tumor and aggravate the pain. At first, the patient will think it is bone pain, low back pain or It is back pain, and it is easy to ignore the possibility of pancreatic cancer. Some patients may also experience poor appetite and lose weight.
The three parts of the pancreas are divided into head, body and tail with different symptoms
If the tumor grows in the head, it may compress the bile duct and affect the secretion and discharge of bile, resulting in progressive obstructive jaundice. The eyelids and skin may turn yellow, the gallbladder may be swollen, and the stool will appear gray and white, but it is less likely to cause stomach damage like bile duct stones. Pain is therefore easily overlooked, so if you have painless jaundice symptoms, you should also seek medical attention to see if there is a tumor in the pancreas.
The pancreas is an important digestive organ. Its main functions are to control blood sugar and digest fat. If you do not have a family history of diabetes, but inexplicably develop diabetes at the age of 50 or 60, or because of the obstruction of the pancreas, you may have oily stools, Fatty stools may also be a sign of pancreatic cancer.
If it is diagnosed as the first or second stage pancreatic cancer, it is recommended to undergo surgical operation. If it is the third or terminal stage, it can be combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, the operation is difficult, and postoperative complications such as leakage, jaundice, perforation, and stenosis are prone to occur. In addition, almost 80% of pancreatic cancers are inoperable when discovered, and the 5-year survival rate is less than 5%, which can be said to be the cancer with the worst prognosis.
“Prevention is better than cure” is still the biggest expectation of the medical profession. The diagnostic methods and tools for pancreatic cancer (as shown in the table) are now commonly used.
General risk factors for pancreatic cancer include family inheritance, mutated genes, smoking, alcohol, obesity, lack of exercise, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, etc. It is recommended that the public quit smoking and alcohol, eat less sugar, and exercise more. If there are patients with high risk factors such as related family history, they should consult with their physicians, and continuous follow-up examinations are recommended.
(The author is the attending physician of the Department of Hepatobiliary and Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Asia University)
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