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.

Chemo for pancreatic cancer is one of the options to try to kill the cancerous cells. The vast majority of cancers of different organs of the body are detected early. Unfortunately pancreatic cancer is not one of those. The pancreas is hidden between the stomach and the spine. It’s called a silent disease whose symptoms are unclear. For these reasons when it is finally detected the victims already suffer from metastatic pancreatic cancer at an advanced stage. This is the stage where the patient will be treated with chemo for pancreatic cancer. Metastasis is when cancer has entered the bloodstream affecting other areas of the body. This is already known as invasive cancer. Then the specialist will proceed to remove part of the tissue surrounding the tumor so as to ensure that cancer cells are gone. If the cancer has already invaded other organs then pancreatic cancer chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or methods of blocking or palliative care should be used.

Chemotherapy affects cells that divide rapidly, which is what usually occurs with cancer cells. However, there are other cells that are not cancerous and also divide rapidly. Some chemotherapy drugs act by interrupting the stage where the cancer cell divides and this makes the cell die. Positive outcomes of chemo are when it:

• Cures – destroying cancer cells.
• Controls – preventing the cancer from spreading.
• Improve symptoms of cancer (this is also known as palliative therapy). Shrinking tumors that are causing pain.

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Chemotherapy drugs can be administered in different ways to the victims: through oral pills, through an IV or intravenous injection, by intramuscular injection or by injection through a needle in the bone marrow. Recent information shows that it also comes topically. Chemo for pancreas cancer is key in the treatment to try to ensure the patients survival. This medication is a gemcitabine drug which is most commonly used in the chemo for pancreatic cancer. Another drug often used to treat the cancer is fluorouracil. Trying to understand the components of these drugs is not so simple. What is really relevant is the important role that they all play in the process of attempting to cure the patient of cancer. Any medication can cause undesirable side effects due to its action on the body. Some of these drugs being quite strong happen to have the following chemo response or side effects:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Mouth sores
• Hair loss

The role of bone marrow to produce blood cells is temporarily impaired. This makes it easier for infections to occur, as a consequence of the decrease of the body’s defenses. Chemo is given in the form of cycles during a given period of time which is then followed by a rest period, to produce a hematological recovery because the drug acts on cancer cells, but equally on other good cells. With the chemo for pancreatic cancer antiemetic drugs are administered to prevent or decrease many of the side effects such as nausea and to increase pancreatic cancer life expectancy.

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect and diagnose early. This is because in the early stages of pancreatic cancer there are no signs or symptoms and when they do appear, they are similar to the signs of many other diseases. If the doctor finds pancreatic cancer, the patient will have more tests to find out if the cancer has spread from the pancreas to the tissues around it or to other parts of the body. This process of testing is called staging, and it helps the doctor plan the patient’s treatment.

The pancreas is hidden behind other organs such as the stomach, small intestine, liver, gallbladder, spleen and bile ducts. Endocrine cell function is responsible for producing and secreting two important hormones, including insulin and glucagon. The exocrine function is the production of pancreatic juice. Tests that examine the pancreas are used to detect, diagnose and in staging pancreatic cancer. The process used to determine whether cancer cells have spread within and around the pancreas is called staging. It is important to know the stage of the disease and whether pancreatic cancer can be removed through surgery in order to plan the best treatment. The information below shows and describes the five stages of pancreatic cancer:

• Stage I - cancer is found in the pancreas only.
• Stage II - The cancer has spread to surrounding tissue and organs such as bile ducts or the small intestine.
• Stage III - Cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the pancreas and may have affected the surrounding tissue and organs such as bile ducts or the small intestine.
• Stage IV – Cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This stage is divided into stage IVA and stage IVB, based on where the cancer has spread.
  • Stage IVA: Cancer has spread to organs and tissues surrounding the pancreas. The cancer may have affected the lymph nodes near the pancreas.
  • State IVB: Cancer has spread to distant organs like lungs.

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Notice that at stage II cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes near the pancreas. This indicates that the early stages, are favorable for cancer treatment. Another stage is the recurrent pancreatic cancer. This one has recurred after treatment has been administered. It may return in the pancreas or other body part. Treatment options may vary. In the early stage the affected area can be removed. Alternative treatments are chemotherapy, radiotherapy and palliative surgery to clear the blocked areas in the ducts or the small intestine. There are also other palliative medical measures that can be taken at advanced stages and to reduce symptoms such as nerve blocks to alleviate the pain. To understand this last treatment you must know the meaning. When we talk about palliative medical measures we refer to a medical specialty that focuses on terminally ill patients. These would be patients like those with a terminal illness and whose health has deteriorated to the point of requiring continuing care. When you get to these stages of pancreatic cancer it unfortunately becomes inoperable and is more a case of making life as comfortable as possible for the sufferer.

It is very important to know your body and its functions in order to understand the causes of pancreatic cancer. By doing this you may be able to prevent the condition becoming more severe. This time we’ll talk about a little-known part of the human body, the pancreas, where it is located and the cause of pancreatic cancer. The pancreas is a large organ located behind the stomach. It produces and secretes enzymes that help the body absorb nutrients and especially fats. Poor nutrition has become the leading cause of many diseases. The hormone insulin is also produced in the pancreas. These hormones help the body control blood sugar levels.

Pancreatic cancer that originates with a malignant tumor will normally begin with very subtle and confusing symptoms. It is classified within the group of digestive diseases. Common causes of this cancer include risk factors that will typically consist of:

• Smoking
• A diet high in fat and processed foods devoid of fruits and vegetables
• Food additives
• Pollution and drugs

The exact cause of cancer of the pancreas is unknown, but is more common in smokers and obese people. Many media report that pancreatic cancer is more common in women, others say otherwise. The risk of pancreatic cancer increases after the age of 50. A small number of cases are associated with genetic syndromes that are passed from parents to children. Changes in DNA, inherited from one generation to another not only increase the risk of developing this cancer, but also others.

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This organ plays an important role in digestion so we have to note that although there is no specific cause that scientists can point to as being responsible, the food we eat will greatly influence the pancreas sickness. In studies with patients with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer another finding was those with a history of high coffee consumption. There is no data to confirm that coffee consumption is a determining factor in the development of pancreatic cancer, but is clear that it’s an irritating drink for the digestive system. There are many people who suffer from pancreatitis, which is nothing but inflammation of the pancreas. Many doctors do not recommend eating meat and instead eating lots of fruits and vegetables. As a first treatment to cleanse and detoxify the digestive system this is very important. A diet low in fat helps greatly to prevent inflammation of the pancreas. We can also note that the statistics point to smokers as individuals at risk. The cigarette (as with alcohol) has strong toxins harmful to health, which in turn disrupts the smooth functioning of many vital organs to good health. Intense exposure to certain chemicals related to gasoline, are considered as risk factors working towards the possibility of developing this cancer. Many have no idea that most diseases are the result of an improper diet, and that can be avoided. The cancer, which was once a rare disease, is now the second leading cause of death in Western nations like Australia, USA and the UK. Now that you are aware of the causes of pancreatic cancer just remember that your body is your temple, take care of it!

Before we discuss metastatic liver cancer let’s have a look at the function of the liver. The liver is a brown solid organ situated in the upper right abdomen, tucked behind the ribs. Basically it will destroy, transform and eliminate many substances in the body, especially bilirubin. It produces many things and receives blood from the hepatic artery and especially the portal vein. In general the prognosis of liver cancer is pretty bad considering that the primary liver tumors are very aggressive from the start. If it’s already in advanced stages then most likely it has become metastatic liver cancer.

Cancer is an aggressive uncontrolled proliferation, a group of malignant cells, which are arranged to form one or more tumors and tend to invade other healthy tissue spreading through the body via blood or lymphatic metastasis forming.

 The liver can be affected by cancer in two ways:

• Tumors that originate in the liver (primary liver cancer)
• Tumors from other organs with metastatic cancers, colon cancer, colorectal cancer or breast cancer.

The liver is one of the organs most affected by metastasis in other locations. This fact, which can occur in almost any organ in the body, is particularly important in the case of liver metastasis, this being three times more common than primary tumors.

Initially the symptoms are the same regardless of tumor type. Ultrasound is most used for the initial study of the liver and therefore tends to be the test that detects the tumors. Generally these tumors are diagnosed by alterations in the analysis or review or in a tumor and treated either cirrhosis or hepatitis. Routine physical examinations are very important for everyone, because until the tumors reach a considerable size, most people do not begin to display any of the symptoms. It is for this reason that in many cases when people are diagnosed with cancer, they are unfortunately already in a state of metastasis (becoming much more difficult to treat) and in thousands of cases without hope of a cure. To diagnose liver cancer you need to check your patient and family history of chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, and other symptoms that may help the diagnosis.

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The following signs may indicate that the cancer has spread to the liver:

• An irregular enlargement of the lower edge of the liver
• A yellowish tint to the eyes and skin
• Breast lumps
• Blood in the rectum
• Feeling of fullness when eating little
• Loss of appetite and weight
• Persistent pain in the abdomen

In general the best treatment is surgical excision. This requires that the lesion or lesions are in a portion of the liver to remove them all without sacrificing too much liver as to prevent survival. Due to the regenerative capacity of the liver it’s possible to have the affected part removed combined with a donation of a piece of a healthy liver from a living donor who would continue to live with the remnants of his liver. Also it can be treated with chemotherapy that has been shown to increase survival in patients with metastatic liver cancer.