Pancreatic Cancer

Is still cancer of the pancreas gland tumors that are difficult to control. Although the number of cases of this disease is not equivalent to two percent of all cases of cancer. But it is classified rank fifth in terms of the number of deaths it causes. 

And function of the pancreas 

Pancreas is located in the abdomen, which is surrounded by the stomach and intestines and other organs. With a length of 15 cm is almost like a grain of pears (broad and narrow point on the other). And part of the pancreas called the broad head, and the narrow end is called the tail, and the average section is called the body of the pancreas. 

The pancreas is a gland have two main points: the production of pancreatic juice. And the production of hormone insulin. It contains bile pancreatic proteins called enzymes which help in the digestion of food, where the secretion of these bile when needed in the system of channels selected. And join the President to the pancreatic tube Yellow tube coming from the liver, gallbladder, and these tubes are combined in the empty tube short twelve. Pancreatic hormones and helps the body use energy derived from food or stored, for example, insulin helps control the amount of sugar (energy source) in the blood, the pancreas, called insulin and hormones that the body needs job of these hormones the bloodstream and spread to all parts of the body. 

Silent disease 

By d. Abdullah al Abadi consultant tumors in the Jordan University Hospital, the research suggests there is more than a hundred different type of cancer, some of which can attack the pancreas, and begin more pancreatic cancers in the pipes that carry pancreatic juices, and there is a rare type of pancreatic cancers begin in cells that produce insulin and other hormones. While the growing cancer of the pancreas, the tumor has been attacking the members that surround the pancreas, such as the stomach or small intestine, and may be separate cancer cells from pancreatic tumor and spread to other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes, liver and sometimes in the lung or bone, and new tumors have the same kind of abnormal cells, and the name of same tumor in the pancreas, for example, if pancreatic cancer has spread to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver cells called pancreatic cancer. 

Adds d. Abbadi: often called pancreatic cancer, called a silent disease because it usually does not cause symptoms early, Valsrtan may grow for some time before it causes pressure in the abdomen, pain or other problems, therefore, when the discovery of pancreatic cancer is often already spread beyond the pancreas and the onset of symptoms depends on the tumor site and size. In the course of cancer growth and spread, may be accompanied by pain the upper abdomen and back, and this pain may become worse after dealing with the patient's food. And causes pancreatic cancer, nausea and loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness and wasting years in the body. And the doctor is only able to determine the cause and personifies. 

Diagnosis 

On the way of diagnosing the disease, "says Dr. Abbadi: 

The doctor checks the work of the clinical signs and auditing of public health may request a blood test, urine and other tests, and usually request a photo of the pancreas, where they assist in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and determine the stage of illness, image shows the location of cancer and stage which helps determine how the treatment. Photos and give the pancreas and nearby members of important evidence of the presence of cancer, and sampling and inspection is the best way and confirmed to the doctor. To know the existence of pancreatic cancer in the examination of the sample A doctor will take a sample tissue, and sent to a specialist for diseases examined under a microscope to detect the presence of cancer cells. 

There are several ways to check out a sample for diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and one of those methods is to obtain a sample needle, and the other type is a sample brush. In some cases, the doctor enters the machine in the form of luminous tube in the abdomen through a small hole takes the pancreatic tissue for examination under the microscope, where he can see inside the abdomen to locate the tumor and the stage as possible during the theory that the doctor should the need for a larger operation to open the abdomen to remove the tumor or to alleviate symptoms caused by cancer. 

The d. Wahab Alondidjani head of the diseases at King Abdul Aziz in Jeddah that more diseases originating from pancreatic cancer in vitro that are normally secreted pancreatic juices that may affect cancer cells responsible for production of the hormone insulin. 

, Explains Dr.. Alondidjani how pancreatic cancer injury, saying: It begins to attack all parts of the surrounding Kaloamaae stomach and may spread to lymph nodes and liver, indicating that it is difficult to diagnose pancreatic cancer because it is the silent disease, as symptoms do not usually appear until after it spreads from the pancreas to the parts surrounding it. 

Treatment .. 

Points of scientific research and studies published about the treatment of pancreatic cancer that most of the treatments, which started in eighties and early nineties did not work did not lead to the results expected of them, but the only treatment which gives the patient some hope of treatment is surgical excision. However, 85% of the injuries and unfortunately discovered too late, what makes these patients are not willing to perform this surgery, it is also regrettable that about 75% of patients undergoing surgical operations to eradicate die at a later time when the disease would return to them again. 

British researchers have announced at the University of Liverpool recently that the use of chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer after surgery to eradicate it could help to prolong the life of patients with this type of cancer. These researchers noted in their report, published in the magazine «Lancet» that patients who receive chemotherapy after surgery to live longer than other patients by up to about 40%. 

In turn, the d. Nasim Naboot consultant tumors in the Cancer Center Houston, United States reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, prompting researchers to use the new key will be an important input to control this silent malignant. Where most researchers agree that gene therapy may be more hopeful in the treatment of many diseases in the near future. This hope and talk to Dr. Naboot would enable scientists to control the proliferation of tumor cells and the use of genetic discouraging the indiscriminate breeding of the cancer cells in particular, this method proved effective in types of cancer. Pancreatic cancer, adding that the ideal candidate for gene therapy because of the high rate of genetic variations that have been discovered. For example, the scientists have isolated a gene (K-ras) show that the gene helps the transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell, it was found that 90% of patients with pancreatic cancer carry the gene, and the researchers were able to isolate other genes act to rein in the transition from a normal cell into a cancer cell, has also been found that some of these genes such as BRCA2 and P52, for example, is effective in 95% of patients, the researchers believe that they can control the proliferation of cancer cells if they were able to re-activate this gene, also believe that possible to get cancer cells to respond better to chemotherapy if they correct some of these genetic errors. 

New hope .. 

Adds d. Naboot that the efforts of researchers did not stop where we peered scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Research, Pennsylvania, a new discovery brings with it new hope in the treatment of cancer of the pancreas, where they had been able to locate a gene which is very important in cancer development , the experiments have included more than two dozen family members suffering with pancreatic cancer and observed changes in the chromosome inherited or No. 4 in patients with pancreatic cancer, these variables were not present when members of these families who are not suffering from cancer, according to the scientists, they will be able to locate this gene on chromosome IV period of no more than year or two. It is hoped, he says. Peanut to be the importance of this gene on a large scale in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, and scientists need to study the biological function of the gene and then devise an effective treatment and development, and stresses that these will not be possible to provide this treatment for four or five years the least. 

Three ways to treat 

But the question that comes to the minds of many is how to deal with patients with pancreatic cancer present? D answer of that. Alondidjani saying: There are three main ways to share this usually sections glands, surgery and tumors in the early stages of treatment and the share of these ways: 

First: General Surgery: The command requires the removal of the pancreas and nearby tissues completely, in addition to the removal of the spleen and lymph nodes depending on the type of cancer, or remove part or parts of the surrounding members such as removing part of the stomach and duodenum, and this surgery is one of the major operations, where The patient suffers pain after surgery and the patient is fed intravenously for a period of time. Because of the removal of the pancreas, the bile, which was secreted at least its role in the digestion process where the patient suffers pain after surgery, the patient is fed intravenously for a period of time. Because of the removal of the pancreas, the bile, which was secreted at least its role in the digestion process where the patient suffers with persistent diarrhea and a sense of satiety. And given medication to alleviate the symptoms. 

Second: chemotherapy: If the doctor chose this treatment, it uses one type or several types. And contributes to chemotherapy in the eradication of the cancer cells spread and side effects of this treatment is known but differ and vary from person to person depending on the patient and given the same drugs and the effects of bleeding, rash and loss of appetite, hair loss, and others. 

III: Radiotherapy: may be used brachytherapy before surgery or after or together sometimes. It involves high-energy rays projected onto the site of cancer and a period of radiotherapy of 5 weeks to 7 weeks, the patient must be subject to a long rest period after treatment because he feels very tired as a result of treatments, and show some side effects that Kahmrar color of skin, hair loss treatment area and vomiting the low number of white blood cells, but all of these symptoms continue for a period of time and an end. 

Etiology 

D opinion. Abdullah al Abadi, some researchers are studying the patterns and prevalence of cancer among the people, and are looking for what factors are most common among pancreatic cancer patients, because that would help researchers to know the risk factors that may lead to cancer of the pancreas, and the possible reasons: 

Smoking: a major factor, smokers suffer pancreatic cancer two to three times more than non-smokers. 

Occupational hazard: Workers in some jobs are at risk of developing pancreatic cancer due to exposure to carcinogens in the workplace as industries chemical and leather industries, hairdressers, metal workers, painters, textile workers. 

Age: increasing the probability of infection after the age of forty. 

Diabetes: increasing the likelihood of exposure to cancer of the pancreas for patients with diabetes and twice without the others. 

Food: be more injuries in people who depend on food fat and a little fruit.