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pancreatic cancerIt is one of the UK’s most brutal and deadly diseases, with around 10,800 new cases every year – 30 a day – according to Cancer Research UK.
Action on Pancreatic Cancer states that it is the fifth most lethal cancer and the tenth most common cancer in the UK.
Heather Archbold, health information and research manager at Pancreatic Cancer Action, emphasized the stark reality: “Most people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within three months.”
She added, “44 per cent of cases are diagnosed in the emergency department, but by then it is often too late to treat.”
As a result, only 10% of patients are diagnosed in time and undergo life-saving surgery.
But a potential vaccine now offers new hope for pancreatic cancer patientsand bowel cancer patients. The breakthrough new vaccine appeared to slow the progression of the disease and improve chances of survival in an early-stage trial in patients with pancreatic and bowel cancer, according to findings published in the journal Nature Medicine.
The vaccine works by using the body’s own immune system to target specific cells (called KRAS-mutant cancer cells), and pancreatic cancer patients in the study lived on average about two years and five months after receiving the vaccine.
“The risk of pancreatic cancer recurrence is very high even after all standard treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation,” said study leader Dr. Zev Wainberg of the University of California, Los Angeles.
“Our results showed that in the group of patients with a profound immune response (17/25, 68%), survival from this cancer was longer than we expected, which is a pretty remarkable finding to emerge from a phase 1 trial.”
One of the main problems with pancreatic cancer is that symptoms can be “vague” and “masquerade as other less threatening conditions” such as irritable bowel syndrome and gallstones, “so many people don’t worry about them or see their GP with them until it’s too late,” explains Archibald. “Even when it does occur, GPs often fail to recognize the signs and symptoms, so it definitely has one of the highest rates of misdiagnosis of all common cancers.”
“Time is of the essence when it comes to pancreatic cancer,” she continued. “We encourage everyone to trust their instincts and see a healthcare professional if they notice unusual symptoms, no matter how minor they may seem. Early diagnosis can save lives.”
signs and symptoms
These are early symptoms to watch out for. “It’s important to note that these symptoms may occur as a combination rather than independently,” Archibald noted.
abdominal or back pain
Don’t automatically assume you have a herniated disc or muscle strain. Abdominal (abdominal area) or back pain can be a warning sign, “especially if it’s mild discomfort and gets worse over time, or can be relieved by leaning forward,” Archibald says. Back pain often occurs “where a woman’s bra strap is.”
“Stomach pain and back pain often send patients to the emergency room,” she added. back pain This often occurs when “the tumor has spread beyond the pancreas and is compressing the spine.”
unexplained weight loss
As with many cancers, “losing weight without trying” is a red flag for pancreatic cancer. So if your jeans suddenly become baggy without changing your diet, talk to your GP.
jaundice
“Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes,” Archibald explains. “For people with darker skin, it’s different. That’s why we always ask people to look at the whites of their eyes.”
“Jaundice can also cause severe itching in the body,” she added.
changes in urine and stool
Things to watch out for are “stools not flushing” and “dark urine”, but any noticeable changes that are unusual for you are worth seeing your GP, including pale, greasy stools.
new onset diabetes
according to Diabetes UKEarly symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, especially at night, being very thirsty, feeling more tired than usual, unintentional weight loss, genital itching or thrush, cuts and wounds taking longer to heal, blurred vision and increased hunger, some of which overlap with other early symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
Continuous or sudden drop in energy
Archibald says it’s not the tiredness you feel a few days after a busy week or a bad night’s sleep, but rather “a constant fatigue, no matter how much sleep you get.”
indigestion
You may only need some over-the-counter medications, but if indigestion doesn’t seem to respond to common medications, see your GP.
For more information about pancreatic cancer symptoms and early diagnosis, visit Paniccanceraction.org.