CANCER
THIS IS A WORD WHICH PUTS FEAR
IN ALL OUR HEARTS
CANCER KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES,
IT DOESN'T CARE WHAT YOUR
SEX, AGE, COLOR, CREED,
OR SOCIAL STATUS IS.
IT CAN STRIKE ANY ONE
OF US, AT ANY TIME.
What Is Cancer?
Cancer is not just one disease
but rather a group of diseases.
All forms of cancer cause cells
in the body to change and
grow out of control.
Most types of cancer cells form
a lump or mass called a tumor.
Cells from the tumor can break away and
travel to other parts of the body
where they can continue to grow.
This spreading process is called metastasis.
When cancer spreads, it is still named after
the part of the body where it started.
For example, if breast cancer spreads to the lungs,
it is still breast cancer, not lung cancer.
Another word for cancerous is malignant,
so a cancerous tumor is referred to as malignant.
But not all tumors are cancer.
A tumor that is not cancer is called benign.
Benign tumors do not grow and spread the way cancer does.
They are usually not a threat to life.
A few cancers, such as blood cancers (leukemia),
do not form a tumor.
What Is Pancreatic Cancer?
Most kinds of cancer are named
after the part of the body where
the cancer first starts.
Pancreatic cancer begins in the gland of the same name.
The pancreas is found behind the stomach.
It is shaped a little bit like a fish.
In fact, the pancreas functions as two separate
glands inside the same organ.
Some cells in the gland makes
pancreatic juice which contains enzymes
that break down fats and proteins
so the body can use them
for growth and repair.
Other cells in the pancreas are known as islets.
The islets release two hormones that help
control the amount of sugar in the blood.
Both kinds of pancreatic cells can form tumors,
but those formed by the first type
(called the exocrine pancreas)
are more common.
These tumors are also more likely
to be cancerous.
How Many People Get Pancreatic Cancer?
The American Cancer Society estimates that,
in 2003, about 30,700 people in the
United States will be found to have pancreatic cancer
and about 30,000 will die of the disease.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading
cause of cancer death in men and women.
About 2 out of 10 patients with cancer
of the pancreas will live at least
1 year after the cancer is found,
but only a very few will survive for 5 years.
What Causes Pancreatic Cancer?
Can It Be Prevented?
Scientists still do not know exactly what
causes most cases of pancreatic cancer,
but they have found several risk
factors linked to the disease.
A risk factor is something that increases
a person's chance of getting a disease.
Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be controlled.
Others, like a person's age or race, can't be changed.
There are several risk factors that increase
a person's chance of having pancreatic cancer,
but keep in mind that having one or more risk factors
does not mean that a person will develop the disease.
Age: Most people with pancreatic cancer are
over 60 years old when the cancer is found.
Sex: Men have pancreatic cancer more often than women.
Race: African Americans are more likely to develop
pancreatic cancer than are white or Asian Americans.
Smoking: The risk of pancreatic cancer is higher among smokers.
About 3 out of 10 cases of pancreatic cancer are linked to smoking.
Diet: A diet high in meats and fat increases
the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Eating more fruits and vegetables
appears to offer some protection.
Diabetes: Pancreatic cancer is more common
in people with this disease.
*Note*
There are a few other risk factors
linked to this cancer in a small number of cases.
The best advice for prevention is to avoid smoking
and to eat a healthful diet with plenty
of fruits and vegetables while cutting down on red meats,
especially those high in fat or processed.
Again, though, many people with the disease
do not have any risk factors and there is nothing
they could have done to prevent it.
Information obtained by The American Cancer Society
Please visit their website for more information.
*Click Here*
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