Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, Repurposed Drugs and Natural Approaches (2025)
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Pancreatic Cancer Awareness |
Common Types of Pancreatic Cancer
Exocrine Pancreatic Cancers
- Pancreatic adenocarcinoma: This is the most prevalent form of pancreatic cancer, accounting for about 90 percent of all diagnoses. It affects the exocrine cells in the pancreas ducts that produce digestive enzymes.
- Squamous cell carcinoma: This extremely rare cancer forms in the pancreatic ducts from squamous cells not naturally present in the pancreas. This type is so rare that there have not been enough reported cases for its origins to be wholly understood. Rarely discovered early, it has a very poor prognosis.
- Adenosquamous carcinoma: Accounting for 1 to 4 percent of exocrine pancreatic cancers, this rare pancreatic cancer presents elements of both ductal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Compared to adenocarcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma is more aggressive and has a poorer prognosis.
- Colloid carcinoma: Comprising only 1 to 3 percent of exocrine cases, this rare form typically develops from a particular type of benign cyst, an intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). Because a pancreatic colloid tumor consists of malignant cells suspended in a gelatinous substance known as mucin, it spreads more slowly, is easier to treat than other pancreatic cancers, and has a much better prognosis.
Neuroendocrine Pancreatic Cancer
Benign Precancerous Lesions
What Are the Symptoms and Early Signs of Pancreatic Cancer?
Pancreatic cancer typically doesn’t cause symptoms until it reaches advanced stages. Thus, reliable, early signs are hard to detect.- Loss of appetite
- Unplanned weight loss
- Abdominal pain that can radiate to the back
- Lower back pain
- Blood clots (often in the legs, which can manifest as redness, pain, and swelling)
- Jaundice
- Depression
- Light-colored or slimy stools
- Dark-colored urine
- Itchy skin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sudden-onset diabetes or the exacerbation of preexisting diabetes
Despite the poor prognosis, pancreatic cancer is potentially curable if diagnosed early. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, up to 10 percent of patients diagnosed early become disease-free posttreatment. The pancreatic cancer survival-time average is three to three-and-a-half years for patients diagnosed before the tumor grows or spreads.
What Causes Pancreatic Cancer?
Your pancreas is a gland in the abdomen, between the stomach and spine. It produces hormones that regulate blood sugar levels and enzymes that aid digestion. Pancreatic cancer occurs when the DNA in your pancreas cells develops mutations.A cell’s DNA contains the blueprints for cell development and death. Such cancerous mutations instruct cells to grow without limit and to persist after normal, healthy cells would perish. In some rare cases, these mutations can be inherited.
Sugar and Pancreatic Cancer
Another study published in Cell Reports in 2020 following nearly 500,000 Europeans over 20 years indicated that a high-sugar diet increased the risk of pancreatic cancer in some individuals and promoted tumor growth and spread.
Who Is More Likely to Develop Pancreatic Cancer?
- Sugar (above)
- Obesity, particularly belly fat
- Exposure to certain chemical toxins, such as pesticides and petrochemicals
- Family history of genetic vulnerability, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes inherited from a parent
- Blood type other than O
- High stress, depression, and anxiety: One study showed that depression may be a precursor to pancreatic cancer, with half of pancreatic cancer patients exhibiting psychiatric symptoms 43 months before physical symptoms appear.
- Unhealthy lifestyle: Uncontrolled diet and irregular sleep patterns.
- Unbalanced diet: Eating an unvaried and unhealthy diet, such as eating too much meat and not enough fruits and vegetables.
- Bad habits: Smoking, drinking alcohol, consuming excessive amounts of coffee, and frequently eating charred foods.
- Underlying health factors: Diabetes is a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer.
- Pancreatitis: Chronic inflammation of the pancreas can lead to cancer, and benign tumors may become malignant.
What Are the Tests to Detect Pancreatic Cancer?
If a person exhibits symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer, specific tests and procedures will assist in diagnosis. If cancer is detected, follow-up tests will help assess the extent of the cancer.- Imaging tests: These diagnostic tools give doctors an image of your pancreas and surrounding organs. Techniques used include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT scan), and positron emission tomography (PET scan).
- Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS): A tube is passed down the esophagus to provide images from within the abdomen of the pancreas and other adjacent organs.
- Biopsy: A small sample of tissue is collected either through a tool inserted into the EUS or, more rarely, via a pin inserted into the pancreas via the abdomen.
- Blood test: This test looks for specific proteins in the blood shed by pancreatic cancer cells. The test looks for a particular marker, CA 19-9. This marker may help indicate how well you will respond to treatment. However, not all patients with pancreatic cancer test positive for these markers, so the test’s diagnostic power is limited.
- Genetic testing: If you are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, consider getting genetic testing done. This can determine if there’s a hereditary susceptibility in your family to the condition. It can also help your doctors chart a course of treatment for you.
What Are the Complications of Pancreatic Cancer?
Pancreatic cancer can develop several complications, typically involving the organs of the digestive system and the nerves surrounding the pancreas.Bowel Obstruction
A pancreatic tumor can obstruct the duodenum (the initial passage of the small intestine), blocking the movement of digested food from the stomach into the intestine. In this case, your physician may recommend inserting a stent into your small intestine to keep it unobstructed. In some situations, you may need to undergo surgery to have a temporary feeding tube placed or to have the attachment of the stomach relocated to a lower point of the intestines not blocked by cancer.Jaundice
Pancreatic cancer can block the liver’s bile duct, causing jaundice. The signs of jaundice include yellow skin and eyes, pale stools, and dark urine. Your doctor may recommend inserting a stent (a plastic or metal tube) into the bile duct to keep it unobstructed.Pain
A growing tumor may impinge on nerves in your abdomen, resulting in pain that may become severe. Pain medications may be prescribed to manage this pain. In addition, radiation and chemotherapy treatments may slow tumor growth and relieve some pain.Weight Loss
Several aspects of pancreatic cancer can cause weight loss. Weight loss might occur as the cancer disrupts the body’s metabolism. Nausea and vomiting caused by treatments or a tumor putting pressure on the stomach may make eating solid food difficult or impossible. Also, the body may not be able to fully process food because the pancreas isn’t producing enough digestive juices.What Are the Treatments for Pancreatic Cancer?
Pancreatic cancer treatment depends upon the cancer’s stage and location and the patient’s overall health and personal preferences. Treatment can involve surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. In late-stage cancer, treatment may focus on palliative (supportive) care.Surgery
Surgery aims to remove the cancerous tumor(s) from the organ. The procedure used will depend upon the location of the cancer in the pancreas.- Pancreaticoduodenectomy (“Whipple procedure”): This procedure is used when the cancer is in the head of the pancreas. The operation requires surgical skill to remove the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, the gallbladder, part of the bile duct, and adjacent lymph nodes. Sometimes part of the stomach and colon are removed as well. Then, the surgeon reattaches the remaining parts of these organs to allow the patient to digest food.
- Distal pancreatectomy: This procedure removes the pancreas’ left side (body and tail). The procedure may also involve removing your spleen.
- Total pancreatectomy: As the name implies, this procedure completely removes the pancreas. While you can live relatively normally without this organ, you will need lifelong insulin treatments and enzyme replacement therapy.
- Surgery for tumors affecting nearby blood vessels: If the tumor(s) involve nearby blood vessels, you may not be a candidate for the above surgical interventions. In that case, at some state-of-the-art medical centers, surgeons may offer operations that include removing and reconstructing the affected blood vessels.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs that are toxic to cancer cells. The drugs are administered as pills or through an IV.Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy directs high-energy X-rays at the tumor to kill cancer cells. It is typically combined with chemotherapy. It may also be used for advanced patients who are not eligible for surgery to ease symptoms.Targeted Therapy
Repurposed Drugs
- Potential Repurposed Therapies for Pancreatic Cancer: A Review of Emerging Approaches
- Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer – Fenbendazole Protocol Shrinking Tumors and Dropping Cancer Markers
- Case report: Hydroxychloroquine and Vitamin D in addition to traditional Chemotherapy for Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer
- High-Dose Vitamin C Doubles Pancreatic Cancer Patient Survival Rates: Study
Pain Management
Pancreatic cancer can involve nearby nerves, which can be very painful. Your doctor may prescribe oral medications, steroid injections, or nerve blocks to manage the pain.If you have pancreatic cancer, talk to your doctor to determine a treatment to ease your symptoms if you’ve started experiencing severe and enduring pain.
How Does Mindset Affect Pancreatic Cancer?
According to the American Cancer Society, research has not shown that attitude, mood, or mind-body therapies impact cancer survival rates. Some recent research challenges that assessment, pointing out that “studies of the placebo effect are revealing that our mindsets can even leverage endogenous opioid and neuroimmune pathways, thereby directly changing physiology and shaping objective markers of health. During cancer treatment, mindsets about the meaning of illness (e.g., whether it is a catastrophe, a manageable challenge, or an opportunity to make positive life changes) are important.”However, it is important to note that there is no medical evidence to conclude that the patient “brought cancer upon themselves” through negative thinking or due to a particular personality type.
Less controversial in the research is the recognition that interventions like biofeedback, meditation, support group attendance, therapy for depression, and visualization can help manage symptoms, discomfort, and the mental challenges associated with such a diagnosis.
What Are the Natural Approaches to Pancreatic Cancer?
There is limited peer-reviewed research on natural approaches to pancreatic cancer.How Can I Prevent Pancreatic Cancer?
There is no surefire method to prevent pancreatic cancer, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk.Quit smoking:
Diet and Nutrition
- Fruits, Vegetables and Balanced diet: Eat a light, low-fat diet, emphasizing cereals, beans, fish, and shrimp, vegetables such as radishes and green vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, and fruits such as grapes, kiwis, figs, and so forth.
- Reduce intake of sugary foods: Instead, opt for high-protein and whole-grain foods, nuts, and legumes. For instance, incorporate boiled or lightly fried fish, chicken, eggs, oatmeal, corn, millet, and rye into your diet.
- Increase intake of healthy fats: Research has shown that olive oil consumption can reduce the risk of cancer.
- Plant-based diets have been recommended for improving health outcomes, including cancer. However, previous studies on plant-based diets and the risk of pancreatic cancer are scarce and fail to consider plant food quality. A 2023 paper, published in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that adherence to a healthy plant-based diet confers a lower risk of pancreatic cancer, whereas adherence to a less healthy plant-based diet confers a higher risk. These findings highlight the importance of considering plant food quality in preventing pancreatic cancer.
- The overall plant-based diet (‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’) saw a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer by a remarkable 26%.
- Those consuming a healthy plant-based diet saw their pancreatic cancer risk decline by a striking 44%
- Those consuming an unhealth plant-based diet saw an increased incidence of pancreatic cancer by a stunning 38%.
Outdoor aerobic exercise:
Regular physical checkups:
Self-protection at work:
Manage Stress:
Stress can lead to an impaired immune system as well as metabolic and endocrine dysfunction. Impairments in these systems create a more inviting environment for cancer to develop and aggressively advance.- Stress and obesity found to fuel early pancreatic cancer growth - Study
- Effects of treatment delays on outcomes in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Annals of Pancreatic Research 2024)
- Did Steve Jobs Refuse Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer?
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