Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a fairly common disease. It accounts for almost 3% of the total number of malignant tumors. This type of cancer is extremely aggressive. The tumor of the pancreas develops imperceptibly, but quickly. That is why it is important to know its symptoms and recognize it in time.

• Causes of
• The first symptoms of
• stages
• stages Diagnosis
• Treatment of
• Folk methods
• Prevention of

Causes of

A number of the following factors can cause pancreatic cancer:

• Diseases of the gland are chronic pancreatitis, benign neoplasms and cysts.
• Smoking( up to 35% of cases).
• Alcoholism( up to 25% of cases).
• Diabetes mellitus.
• Operative interventions on the stomach.
• Occupational risk is the effect of asbestos.
• Unfavorable environmental conditions.
• Hereditary factor increases the risk of disease.
• Incorrect food and frequent diets with an excessive amount of fresh fruits and vegetables.
  

  
  

The first symptoms of

CancerPancreas refers to difficult to diagnose diseases. In the early stages, the patient does not have the characteristic symptoms that would help to correctly diagnose the diagnosis. After the cancerous tumor grows to a sufficiently large size, it often "leaves" beyond the gland and, depending on the location, can manifest itself as follows:

1. Painful sensations in the upper abdominal region:
   • Pain drawing and aching.
   • If the tumor is in the gland's head, the pain is felt in the navel or right upper quadrant.
   • Cancer in the tail or body of the body gives to the interscapular area or waist.
   • There are resists and unpleasant sensations not associated with eating.
   • Pain intensification at night.
   • Can be amplified when tilted.
2. The main symptoms associated with the appearance of a cancerous tumor:
   • Sleep disturbance.
   • Decreased appetite.
   • Aversion to beverages and a specific type of food: meat or fatty foods, alcohol, coffee, etc.
   • A sharp decrease in body weight.
3. Digestive disorders:
   • Frequent diarrhea occurs.
   • In the stool, an increased content of unsplit fat is found.
   • Feeling of overflow and heaviness in the stomach, provoked by squeezing the tumor.
   • The eructation is rotten.
4. Mechanical jaundice. The jaundice of the eye and skin sclera is associated with the squeezing of the bile duct - bile can not enter the intestine, but is absorbed into the blood, causing changes:
   • Darkening of the urine.
   • Skin itching.
   • Yellowing of the mucous membranes, skin and eyes.
   • Clarification of stool.
   • Increased gallbladder.
5. Germination of a cancerous tumor into the wall of the duodenum or stomach causes bleeding. In this case the patient appears:
   • Nausea, vomiting, which looks like a coffee grounds.
   • Cal is black.

   
   

6. The spread of cancer cells into the splenic vein causes a disorder in the blood:
   • Leukopenia is a significant decrease in the number of leukocytes.
   • Anemia is the drop in the number of red blood cells.
   • Thrombocytopenia is a decrease in platelet count.
7. Development of diabetes mellitus is observed in the destruction of insulin-producing islets of the gland, which is accompanied by:
   • Dry mouth.
   • Strong thirst.
   • Itching of the skin and mucous membranes.
   • Increased urine volume.
8. Ascites( dropsy), is caused by the appearance of metastases( stage IV disease) on the portal vein and abdominal cavity. As a result, the patient appears:
   • Bloating and weight gain after total weight loss.
   • Accumulation of a large amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Also to the IV stage of pancreatic cancer are the following symptoms:

• Severe pain syndrome.
• Strong intoxication, provoked by the poisoning of the body by the products of the vital activity of cancer cells.
• Strong exhaustion.
• Splenomegaly - an increase in the size of the spleen more than 12 cm.
• Hepatomegaly - enlargement of the liver.
• Appearance of soft subcutaneous nodules.
• Increased supraclavicular and other lymph nodes.
• Migrating thrombophlebitis - the appearance of blood clots in different areas of the veins.
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Stages of

Pancreatic cancer is divided into:

• 0 stage. Abnormal cells in the mucosa of the gland can become cancerous and spread to neighboring healthy tissues.
• I stage( depending on the size of the tumor, IA and IB are distinguished).Cancer has formed and is located within the gland. In stage IA, the tumor does not exceed 2 cm, and for IB, it is more than 2 cm.
• II stage( IIA and IIB are different depending on the site of spread).Stage IIA means that the cancer has spread to nearby tissues and organs, IIB - the disease affected only the nearby lymph nodes, but it can spread further.
• III stage. Cancer cells affect the stomach, spleen, large intestine and large blood vessels located next to the gland, and in the absence of treatment may affect the lymphatic system( mesenteric artery, celiac trunk, general hepatic artery and portal vein).
• IV stage. The tumor quickly metastasizes and affects distant organs - the liver, lungs, intestines, stomach.

Diagnosis

Based on medical examination, description of the first symptoms and laboratory tests, the doctor prescribes:

• Ultrasound examination( ultrasound) to determine the exact diagnosis. The method is used to view the organs of the abdominal cavity and assess blood flow through the vessels.
• Computed tomography( CT) shows a detailed image of the necessary part of the body, including the pancreas. With the help of CT, it is possible to see even those cancers that can not be recognized by ultrasound.
• Magnetic resonance imaging( MRI).Thanks to magnetic waves, the scanner creates a detailed image of the peritoneum, especially the liver, pancreas and gallbladder regions.
• Positron Emission Tomography( PET).In the vein of the patient is introduced radioactive glucose, absorbed by cancer cells. This method will help determine the stage of a pancreatic cancer tumor.
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A biopsy is performed in one of the following ways:

• A subcutaneous puncture biopsy - the needle is inserted through the skin into the tumor.
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography( ERCP) is performed by inserting a flexible tube with a chamber through the mouth into the small intestine, in the gland.
• Endoscopic ultrasound - an endoscope is inserted through the mouth into the pancreas region.
• Laparoscopy is a surgical technique in which several small incisions are made. The surgeon collects tissue for a biopsy, and can also carefully examine the organs of the abdominal cavity and find out whether the cancer cells of the gland have spread.

Treatment of

The choice of method of treatment directly depends on the stage of cancer:

• Surgery is effective in the early stages of the disease. There are 3 types of operations: diagnostic, radical( complete removal of a cancerous tumor) and palliative( aimed at improving quality and continuing life).Palliative surgery has two directions: the removal of a part of the malignant neoplasm or the elimination of metastases in other organs.
• Chemotherapy - treatment of a malignant tumor with drugs containing toxins or poisons. The purpose of chemotherapy is to reduce the rate of growth of the tumor or the destruction of cancer cells. During treatment, such drugs as Irinotecan, Gemcitabine, Carboplatin, Docetaxel, etc. are used.
• Radiotherapy or radiation therapy is a treatment with the help of ionizing radiation. This can be gamma, beta radiation, high-energy X-rays. Therapy is performed with the aim of destroying cancer cells or reducing their activity.
• Radiochemotherapy - the combination of radio and chemotherapy in some cases can reduce the size of malignant formation.
• Hormone therapy is a hormone treatment( somatostatin and tryptorelin) that can stop the growth of cancer cells, thereby in some cases leading to a regression of the neoplasm and, as a result, an increase in the patient's life span.
• Symptomatic therapy is used to relieve the patient's condition. Anesthetics are used: non-narcotic analgesics Analgin, Paracetamol, Naproxen;weak narcotic drugs( opiates) Tramadol, Promedol, Dihydrocodeine;strong opiates Fentanyl, Prosidol. To improve the digestion of food, enzymes Creon, Pancreatin are prescribed, with the symptoms of diabetes requiring the use of insulin.

Folk methods

Alternative medicine in the treatment of pancreatic cancer involves the use of herbs, plant extracts and tinctures. The most effective are:

• Golden Hus.2 stems of about 25 and 15 cm in length should be crushed, pour boiling water( 700 milliliters) and boil for about 15 minutes. After that, wrap and leave for 12 hours. Take 30-50 milliliters( the dose for each is selected individually) before meals 3 times a day.
• The elderberry is black and red.10 grams of crushed elderberry root pour 500 milliliters of boiling water and stand for 45 minutes. Take 100 milliliters 3 times daily before meals.
• Aconite.100 grams of dry root rinse in running water, place in a liter jar, pour boiling water and leave for 45-50 minutes. Then you need to get the root and cut across the fibers into small lobules, then put it back in the jar with the same water and add the alcohol. Stand in a dark place for 21 days. Medicinal tincture start to drink from 1 drop to 25 milliliters of warm water 1 time in the morning 30 minutes before eating. Daily add 1 drop for 10 days. From the 10th day, increase the number of drops to 20 and dilute them in 50 milliliters of warm water. After 20 drops start decreasing 1 drop. Potato flowers.3 tablespoons of flowers pour 300 grams of boiling water and stand in a thermos for 3 hours. Take infusion of 100 grams three times a day for 25-30 minutes before eating. The course of treatment is 14 days.

Prevention

Proper nutrition, rejection of bad habits( smoking and alcohol) are the main methods of preventing cancer. It is also important timely treatment of pancreatitis, diabetes and benign pancreatic tumors.