Content Sources:
1. Current status and research progress of diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery, 2018.
2. Research progress in early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Chinese Journal of Practical Surgery, 2019.
3. Research progress on comprehensive treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer. Chinese Journal of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, 2020.
72-year-old Uncle Sun was born in Qingdao, Shandong Province, and has lived the life of a fisherman with his parents since he was a child. But with the development and progress of the times, Uncle Sun's children are unwilling to stay there for the rest of their lives, so they go out to look for opportunities.
For him, the loneliness of life is not terrible, after all, he still has so many good friends to interact with. The only thing that made him feel a little nervous was that he had a physical illness, for fear that no one would know, with such a mentality, Uncle Sun's nervousness became more and more obvious as he grew older.
In the early spring of 2020, Uncle Sun began to feel abdominal discomfort, and at first he thought he had eaten something unclean, so he didn't pay attention to it. Unexpectedly, this contempt turned out to be the beginning of a tragedy. Soon after, Uncle Sun's diarrhea became more and more severe, accompanied by persistent abdominal pain. The family was so anxious that they rushed from all over the country to take the old father to seek medical advice.
At first, they only treated them at the local health center, where they were said to have a "miracle doctor" who could treat all kinds of common ailments. But after a few days, Uncle Sun's condition not only did not improve, but showed signs of aggravation. At this time, the family realized the seriousness of the situation and decided to refer Uncle Sun to the county hospital.
The doctors at the county hospital conducted a series of examinations on Uncle Sun, preliminarily diagnosed him with gastroenteritis, and prescribed the corresponding medicines. After taking the medicine, Uncle Sun's condition seems to have been relieved, but this is only a temporary illusion. In less than a week, Uncle Sun's diarrhea intensified again and became more and more serious.
The deterioration of the situation made Uncle Sun's family decide not to wait any longer, and they transferred Uncle Sun to a provincial hospital. There, through more accurate examination equipment and methods, the doctors found that Uncle Sun's diarrhea was not as simple as simple gastroenteritis.
However, even provincial hospitals can only determine that this disease is not simple, but what kind of disease it is requires further examination to know.
In order to eliminate all possibilities, in just two months, Uncle Sun traveled to three departments. Just when everyone was at a loss, finally, the truth surfaced, not gastritis, but pancreatic cancer, which has the title of the king of cancer.
As one of the most lethal tumors in the digestive system, pancreatic cancer is mainly harmed by three aspects: high mortality, difficult diagnosis and limited treatment effect. When we have an in-depth understanding of the specific harm of pancreatic cancer, it is not difficult to find that the reason why this malignant tumor is deeply worrying to the medical community and the majority of patients is precisely because of the combined effect of these three aspects.
First of all, the high mortality rate of pancreatic cancer is one of its main hazards. According to statistics, the five-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients is extremely low, much lower than that of other types of cancer. This is mainly because pancreatic cancer often begins to invade surrounding tissues or metastasize far at the early stage of the disease, which seriously affects the treatment effect and the quality of life of patients.
In addition, because the pancreas is located deep in the abdomen, tumor growth is often not easy to detect early, and by the time symptoms appear, the disease has mostly progressed to the middle and advanced stages.
Secondly, the difficulty of diagnosing pancreatic cancer is also one of its harms. The early symptoms of pancreatic cancer are often non-specific, such as abdominal pain, weight loss, and jaundice, which can be easily confused with other digestive disorders, resulting in a low rate of early diagnosis.
Even with modern medical techniques, such as imaging and biomarker testing, there is a risk of missed and misdiagnosed. The delay in diagnosis further narrows the window of treatment and brings great challenges to the treatment of patients.
Not only that, but the limited treatment effect of pancreatic cancer is also one of the reasons for the significant harm to patients. Currently, surgery is the most effective treatment for early-stage pancreatic cancer, but only a few patients have the opportunity to perform surgery at the time of diagnosis.
For most patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or targeted therapy can prolong survival to a certain extent, but the cure rate is still low. In addition, the treatment of pancreatic cancer is often accompanied by a large physical and psychological burden, which significantly reduces the quality of life of patients.
Although the doctors tried their best to treat the disease, due to the late detection of the disease, coupled with Uncle Sun's advanced age, and the gradual decline of various body functions, he finally could not escape the arrangement of fate, and Uncle Sun left us after the treatment was ineffective.
At this time, the doctor shook his head helplessly and said: "Pancreatic cancer is really cunning, and these three symptoms in the early stage are not according to common sense at all. ”
1. Jaundice: Jaundice is one of the most easily observed early symptoms of pancreatic cancer. It refers to the yellow appearance of the skin and eyeballs and is caused by the increased level of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a substance produced by the liver when it processes used red blood cells.
Normally, it is processed by the liver and excreted into the intestines with bile. However, when a tumor in the head of the pancreas blocks the bile ducts, bilirubin cannot be excreted from the body properly, causing the level of bilirubin in the blood to rise, causing jaundice. Jaundice is usually accompanied by itchy skin, dark urine, and light-colored stools.
2. Unexplained weight loss: Sudden weight loss, especially for no apparent reason, is a common symptom of many cancers, and pancreatic cancer is no exception. In the case of pancreatic cancer, weight loss can be caused by several factors.
First, tumors can interfere with the normal absorption of food in the intestines, resulting in ineffective absorption of nutrients. Second, pancreatic cancer may affect insulin production or its mode of action, which can affect sugar metabolism and lead to weight loss. In addition, pancreatic cancer patients may consume fewer calories due to loss of appetite and digestive problems, which is also one of the reasons for weight loss.
3. Abdominal pain: Pancreatic cancer patients often report abdominal pain, especially in the upper abdomen that may radiate to the back. The cause of this pain may be direct compression of peripheral nerves and organs by the tumor. As the tumor grows, the pain may become more pronounced and may worsen in the recumbent position.
In addition, since the pancreas plays an important role in the digestion process, tumors may also affect the digestion of food by interfering with the normal secretion of digestive enzymes, resulting in abdominal discomfort.
While the three symptoms listed above are common early signs of pancreatic cancer, it is important to note that these symptoms are not unique to pancreatic cancer, and other diseases can cause similar symptoms. Therefore, if one or more of the above symptoms are present, and the symptoms persist or become more severe, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible for a thorough examination.
Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to improve the cure rate of pancreatic cancer, especially in this cancer, which is often easily detected at an advanced stage. In addition, high-risk individuals, such as individuals with a family history, a history of chronic pancreatitis, or a genetic predisposition, should have regular medical check-ups to monitor for possible early changes.