In a few days, I will be sitting at the dinner table enjoying a holiday dinner--minus my father.  A year ago February, Dad was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer; he hadn't planned for this, and frankly told me that he always thought he'd have a stroke or heart attack.  (A colonoscopy one year prior had come out clean.)

Life often throws us curve balls which we can either duck to try to avoid or catch them full force. Recently, I reluctantly read the story of Patrick Swayze and his stoic wife Lisa, knowing how they might feel about this difficult situation. Dad and I faced his illness honestly.  We knew the outlook was very grim.  During my search for a medical cure, I did find hope.  We located at least three individuals with the disease intact within the pancreas (it hadn't metastasized or spread to other organs), who were still alive after four or five years.

While cancer death rates have declined, pancreatic cancer deaths have increased.  Every year 33,000 people die from pancreatic cancer--the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.  Only 4%  actually are able to survive at least five years beyond diagnosis.  The key is to catch the disease early, but this is practically impossible as most people show no signs or few signs of the cancer until it has metastasized.  At that point, surgery--the Whipple, becomes unavailable.

Research shows that diabetes is a marker for the disease.  (My father was a diabetic for approximately 20 years, to the point of using injectable insulin.)  In fact, Dr. Suresh Chari, of the Mayo Clinic, and the lead author of a new study states, "We are now quite convinced that in most patients with pancreatic cancer the diabetes is caused by the cancer and not the other way around."  Other risks for the disease include cigarette smoking and having a close relative who's had pancreatic cancer. (My dad was a lifetime smoker and his mother succumbed to ovarian cancer.)  Smokers are two to three times more likely to develop the disease than non-smokers.

Potential pancreatic cancer symptoms:

Abdominal Pressure

Abdominal Pain

Yellowing of the eyes and skin

Dark urine

Further signs after metastasizing:

Upper abdomen and back pain

Nausea and loss of appetite

Weight loss

Diabetes

Scientists are studying genes and biomarkers, noting how pancreatic cancer follows familial lines and looking for ways to prevent and quickly get to the cancer before it metastasizes.  To this date, there is no effective method for the screening of pancreatic cancer; tools employed include ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs. For now, doctors and researchers recommend people at risk to quit smoking, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, and eat a healthy diet which includes a high fiber content from fruits and vegetables.

Treatment is still the standard chemo, drugs, and radiation.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network--PanCan.org, founded in 1999 is presently headed by President and CEO Julie Fleshman.  They in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch have initiated Raise the Cure, asking Congress to authorize the necessary funds to begin The National Plan to Advance Pancreatic Cancer Research.  Currently, the National Cancer Institute allows for only 2% of its budget to be applied to research of pancreatic cancer.  March 11, 2008 PanCan approached Congress with the necessary signatures asking for $170 million in funding which will implement an organized plan to combat the disease.  We're still waiting to hear what the reply of Congress will be.

In the end, I know that I'm at risk.  You could be too.

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Related:  How Will You Live If Time's Almost Up?     

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