Factors That Increase Pancreatic Cancer Life Expectancy
One of the main questions most sufferers and their families want to know is what is the pancreatic cancer life expectancy? Approximately 20% of pancreatic cancer patients may live for at least one year after diagnosis. Only about 5% live for more than five years. These statistics on survival rates are truly alarming, being the second leading cause of death in the world. In the United States, approximately 1% of the population dies of this cancer. This may seem like a small number, but in fact, exceeds the number of deaths from other diseases such as HIV/AIDS. And indeed the number of patients with pancreatic cancer with good prognosis is negligible. When detecting pancreatic cancer unfortunately usually the patient has only a few months to live. The information below highlights what the aggressiveness of this disease is due to:
- 75% of patients are at the advanced stages of pancreatic cancer
- 65% of patients with pancreatic cancer are over 65 years, presenting a poor general condition due to the advanced stages of the disease thus limiting the application of aggressive therapies
- Cancer of the pancreas is highly resistant to treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and anti-hormonal treatments
- Pancreatic tumors can spread rapidly and reach other ares. People with higher life expectancy of pancreatic cancer are those who still suffer from pancreatic metastasis
- Due to its location between the stomach and the spine, the pancreas is hidden within the body and is harder to reach.
As pancreatic cancer is a silent disease that does not give specific symptoms it can easily be confused with any other disease, thus delaying diagnosis. The pain can be caused by the tumor which spreads to the adjacent nerve network that surrounds the pancreas.
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If doctors had the ability to diagnose pancreatic cancer earlier, then it goes without saying that sufferers life expectancy would naturally increase. Recently a small study presented in Orlando at the “Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium”, investigated an experimental blood test that could someday help doctors find these cancers at an early stage (at least in patients at high risk) such as those with a family history related to the disease. Today, only 7% of pancreatic cancers are discovered in time to operate.
As with most diseases, prevention is better. This means avoiding certain risk factors such as smoking, a diet rich in meat and fat and exposure to certain chemicals (pesticides, dyes and petroleum products). Unfortunately many people consume too few nutrients to prevent cancer of the pancreas, liver and other organs. Life expectancy is higher in pancreatic cancer. Our cells have built a powerful mechanism that removes or destroys toxic substances, inhibit DNA damage, repair broken DNA cross-links, and removes the cells that are damaged or are abnormal before they become cancerous, but as long as our antioxidant nutrient requirements are met. To maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat nutrient foods plus doing exercise can help somewhat in terms of prevention. These are the habits in which we should all abide by to avoid other serious illnesses. Only then can pancreatic cancer life expectancy for every patient be increased.
