Pancreatic cancer

 The pancreas is a 6-inch long organ located behind the stomach in the back of the abdomen, near the gallbladder.

It contains glands that createpancreatic juices, hormones, and insulin.

Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas releases enzymes that aid digestion and produces hormones that help manage your blood sugar.

Several types of growths can occur in the pancreas, including cancerous and noncancerous tumors. The most common type of cancer that forms in the pancreas begins in the cells that line the ducts that carry digestive enzymes out of the pancreas (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma)

Symptoms:-

Pancreatic cancer is often called a “silent” disease, because symptoms do not show until the later stages.

•                  • Abdominal pain that radiates to your back

•                  • Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss

•                  • Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

•                 • Light-colored stools

•                 • Dark-colored urine

•                  • Itchy skin

•                  • New diagnosis of diabetes or existing diabetes that's becoming more difficult to control

•                  • Blood clots

•                  • Fatigue

Prevention :-

•                 • Stop smoking. If you smoke, try to stop. Talk to your doctor about strategies to help you stop, including support groups, medications and nicotine replacement therapy. If you don't smoke, don't start.

•                 • Maintain a healthy weight. If you are at a healthy weight, work to maintain it. Combine daily exercise with a diet rich in vegetables, fruit and whole grains with smaller portions to help you lose weight.

•                 • Choose a healthy diet. A diet full of colourful fruits and vegetables and whole grains may help reduce your risk of cancer

Risk factors :-

Factors that may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer include:

•                 • Genetic pancreatic cancer

•                  • Smoking

•                  • Diabetes

•                  • Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)

•                  • Obesity

•                  • Older age, as most people are diagnosed after age 65