Pancreatic Cancer
(Cancer of the Pancreas)
In this condition factsheet:
The Facts on Pancreatic Cancer
The pancreas is an organ in the abdomen that makes digestive juices, insulin, and other hormones. The digestive juices flow through ducts into the intestine. Most pancreatic cancers occur in these ducts.
About 6,900 Canadians are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year. Pancreatic cancer is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in Canada. The risk of developing pancreatic cancer is slightly higher for men than it is for women.
Pancreatic cancer is sometimes called a "silent disease" because it is difficult to detect and symptoms do not usually appear until the cancer has grown for quite some time.
Causes of Pancreatic Cancer
Cancer is caused by uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. When these cells grow and form a mass it is called a tumour. When pancreatic cancer cells break away and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system, they can spread the cancer. The spread of cancer is called metastasis, and places where the cancer has spread are called metastases.
The reason for the development of cancer cells in the pancreas is not known, but research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than others.
Studies have shown that the following factors increase risk for pancreatic cancer:
- age: Pancreatic cancer risk increases with age. Most occur in people over age 60.
- chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cysts: Someone with chronic pancreatitis (painful inflammation of the pancreas) may have increased risk for pancreatic cancer.
- diabetes: Pancreatic cancer is more common in people who have diabetes.
- family history: Someone with a mother, father, sister, or brother who has had pancreatic cancer is at 3 times the risk for the condition.
- obesity: Being overweight or obese is linked to double the risk of pancreatic cancer.
- smoking: People who smoke cigarettes are 2 to 3 times as likely to develop pancreatic cancer as people who do not smoke.
Of these risk factors, smoking is the most significant, accounting for an estimated one-quarter of pancreatic cancer cases.
Symptoms and Complications of Pancreatic Cancer
The early stages of pancreatic cancer often have no symptoms. As the cancer grows, the following symptoms may occur:
- dark urine
- excess fat in the stools
- loss of appetite
- leg swelling due to blood clot in the veins
- nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- pain in the upper abdomen or upper back
- symptoms of increased blood sugar (e.g., unusual thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision)
- unintended weight loss
- weakness or fatigue
- yellow skin and eyes, dark urine (a condition known as jaundice)
