...Just like any other disease, pancreatic cancer must be diagnosed by a physician by doing certain tests and procedures to make sure they are diagnosed correctly. Most patients initially go to the doctor with common symptoms that may turn out to be any number of diseases that a physician has come to educate themselves about. An initial physical exam is usually followed up with things such as blood tests, x-rays or an ultrasound. If the physician were to determine that things did not look normal in one or all of these tests, a CT or computed tomography scan will be ordered. Abnormalties on a CT scan will be followed up with a biopsy to make sure a proper diagnosis is made. There is a certain blood test that can be done to help diagnose a patient with pancreatic cancer. It is called the “tumor marker” test and is also often referred to as CA 19-9. This marker is usually found in the blood of those patients with pancreatic cancer, but can also be found in patients without pancreatic cancer and those with benign conditions. This is not always a definitive way to diagnose pancreatic cancer, as the blood levels in some patients can be normal when they do in fact have pancreatic cancer. A biopsy consists of tissue that is taken from the body so that a pathologist can look at it closely. Abnormal tissues in the body may be referred to as lesions, tumors or masses. To obtain a biopsy of abnormal cells that may be on or around the pancreas, an invasive procedure would have to be done...
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...Pancreatic Cancer Karen R Lindner Wright Career College Pancreatic Cancer Pancreatic cancer occurs in approximately 29000 patients every year. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths. Worldwide, pancreatic cancer is the eighth most common cause of death from cancer in both sexes combined. There have been advancements in the perioperative management, but the 5yr survival rate remains unchanged. Surgical resection is still the only potentially curative treatment for the disease. What is Pancreatic Cancer Pancreatic cancers can arise from both exocrine and endocrine parts of the pancreas. But cancers formed by the exocrine cells are more common. It is important to know if a tumor is from the exocrine or endocrine part of the pancreas. The tumors have their own signs and symptoms and are found by using different tests , are treated in different ways and have different outlooks. Exocrine tumors are most common and start in the gland cells. Endocrine tumors are less common and are known as islet cell tumors. Here are some: gastrinomas, insulinomas, glucagonomas, somatostatinomas, vipomas,ppomas. Most of these tumors are not cancer. The outlook for these is better than that of exocrine cancers. Approximately 75% of all pancreatic cancers occur within the head of neck of the pancreas, 15-20% occur in the body of the pancreas, and 5-10% occur in the tail. Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer Early pancreatic cancers often do not cause any signs...
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...Imagine a disease that kills over 34,000 Americans a year— this disease is pancreatic cancer. Now, imagine that one of your family members or friends have this tragic disease. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world because it is one of the hardest to diagnose and cure. Tragically, by the time pancreatic cancer is diagnosed it is already too late to help the diagnosed patients before they pass. The pancreas is a vital organ in your body, and without it you will most definitely die. The pancreas is an organ found deep in the body, behind the stomach. It is about six inches long and about two inches wide. This organ spans the abdominal region. This organ is vital to human survival because it produces two very important excretions, pancreatic juices and insulin. Pancreatic juices break down the proteins and fats in the food that we eat so we can use the nutrients. Insulin is used to break the glucose in your food down into energy for your body which regulates the sugar levels in your bloodstream (www.cancer.org). Basically, the pancreas could be called one of the most useful organs in the body and if we didn’t have one we wouldn’t be able to break down food and regulate our blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cancer is caused by the out-of-control growth of cells in the pancreas. The overproduction of cells causes abnormal growths in the pancreas tissue which is classified as a tumor. Tumors interfere with the normal functions of the pancreas which...
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...of cells called the islets of Langerhans and only make up 2% of the pancreatic tissue. The islets of Langerhans is made up of three cells, alpha, beta, and delta. There function is to secrete hormones and paracrine products. The most important hormones secreted are insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin. Alpha cells secrete glucagon, which increase blood glucose levels between meals. Beta cells secrete insulin, this is secreted when the level of glucose rises in the blood. Insulin stimulates cells to store nutrients to use between meals and at night to maintain blood glucose levels. Delta cells secrete somatostatin, after meals when blood glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids raise in the blood. Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant cancer. Tumors commonly originate from the epithelial cells of the pancreatic ductal system. This can happen in two ways, one that it has metastasized from a different part of the body, generally the lungs, breast, thyroid, kidneys, and skin. Second form is a primary tumor manly adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinomas occur in secretory cells called glandular cells. These glandular cells line some organs within the endocrine system that make and release hormones in the lymphatic and venous system. Both system travel throughout the body and give opportunity to metastasis. The head of the pancreas is the most common place for cancer to form. Pancreatic cancer that starts on the tail and body metastasis to more places than if...
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...Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal type of gastrointestinal cancer. Gastrointestinal cancer refers to a malignant condition in the esophagus, stomach, biliary system, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, rectum , anus , and other accessory organs of digestion. Circulating tumor cells are the tumor cells that fall off from solid tumor masses and travel into the peripheral blood circulation. CTCs aid as a non-invasive biomarker to detect cancers. Low sensitivity is the main problem in traditional CellSearch System in detecting CTCs, however, there was a higher detection rate of CTCs with the NE-iFISH system. NE-iFISH significantly improved the positive detection rate of CTCs, triploid CTC could be used to predict prognosis or the...
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...Pancreatic Cancer Research Grad2016 Abstract This paper is looking into the effects of pancreatic cancer and the research behind it. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly forms of cancer known and contributes to over 30,000 deaths a year in the U.S. alone. Little is known about this killer cancer or of an accurate treatment. Unfortunately this disease has a very low survival rate even with treatment. There are several benefactors associated with this disease that we will discuss as well. These include alcohol abuse, genetics, tobacco, diabetes and lifestyle. There is a lot of research being conducted on this killer disease with hopes of increasing the survival rate with a cure or early diagnosis. One of the most deadly cancers is known as Pancreatic Cancer. This type of cancer is confined to the pancreas and is responsible for thousands of deaths every year. Little is known about the true cause of pancreatic cancer or a curable treatment. One of the reasons it is associated with the most deadly cancers is the fact that even with treatment it still has a very low survival rate. According to H. Chang (2007) only 10-15% of patients can expect to be cured by treatment. Out of the 30,000 plus patients that are diagnosed each year that is a very low survival rate. Pancreatic cancer is very hard to diagnose at an early stage because there is no precursor standard that is associated with it. Recent research has identified an association with hyperglycemia with patients...
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...Pancreatic cancer is one of the cancers that can be undetectable until it spreads. For this reason, it is important to know what can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer in the elderly. Weight According to the American Cancer Society, obese individuals are 20% more at risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The more obese your loved one is and the higher their risk is for pancreatic cancer. Therefore, helping your elderly loved one to lose weight will reduce their risk of this type of cancer. Diet It is also important to consider the dietary habits of your elderly loved one. Studies have been done on animals that show a link between pancreatic cancer and a diet of high fat. Those who eat few vegetables and fruit are also at a higher risk. Exercise...
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...profound and catch the individual off guard. Other diseases, such as pancreatic cancer, creep up on a person and go unnoticed for quite some time. The gland, also known as the pancreas, is located behind the stomach. The pancreas promotes the breakdown of food by secreting pancreatic juices and controls the hormones (insulin and glucagon) used to help control blood glucose levels (Medline Plus). When one speaks of pancreatic cancer, they are describing the development of malignant cells within the tissues of the pancreas (National Cancer Institute). For one...
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...Pancreatic Cancer Pancreatic cancer is a disease of the digestive system, the causes of which are still unknown. It causes the DNA of cells within the pancreas to mutate and grow uncontrollably. These mutated cells continue to live and reproduce past the time when a normal cell would have died. As these cells grow and accumulate they form a tumor in the pancreas. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer include: jaundice, pain in the upper and middle abdomen, pain in the back, weight loss, loss of appetite, depression, bowel obstruction, and blood clotting. Some treatments options for pancreatic cancer include: surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In the case of tumors in the pancreatic head an operation called a Whipple procedure may be preformed to remove the head of te pancreas. In the case of tumors in the tail or body of the pancreas a surgery called a pancreatectomy may be preformed to remove the tail and possibly a small section of the body....
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...PKD1’s Effect on Pancreatic Cancer Introduction: Much money and time has been spent to uncover treatments that can lessen the grip that cancer has on the human race. While medical breakthroughs in the understanding of many types of cancer have greatly enhanced treatment options and patient survival rates, there is one type of cancer that continues to be very difficult to treat. Pancreatic cancer is a very difficult cancer to fight, and continuous to be a top priority for research and testing as it is one of the most aggressive growing cancers and highly resistant to chemotherapy (4). Although pancreatic cancer isn’t the most common form of cancer, it is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the US and is estimated that around 48,960 people will be diagnosed and 40,560 people will die in 2015 from pancreatic cancer (1). Over the years, there have been small strides made in regard to treating pancreatic cancer, but recently there has been a promising breakthrough dealing with a gene called protein kinase D1 (PKD1). Scientists have found a connection between this gene and the growth of pancreatic cancer and believe it could lead to new ways of halting the development of one of the most difficult tumors to treat (1). While it is still in early test stages, scientists are hoping this gene could unlock the secrets behind preventing and treating pancreatic cancer. Information on Pancreas and Pancreatic Cancer: The pancreas is a necessary organ in the digestive system...
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...Her Last Days Jody Seibold Hondros College Abstract My research paper is dedicated to my mother and her last days on this earth. Our nightmare started on September 17, 2012, this is when we were told that my mom had stage four pancreatic cancers that had spread to all of the lobes of her liver, spleen, and large intestine. We went to this appointment thinking she would be able to be treated not to get a death sentence. By the time we found out her cancer had already spread. She was offered chemotherapy but she declined it because at best, it would only prolong her life a month maybe two. She wanted to live her life to the fullest and not be sick from chemo. At that moment every minute was precious time left with mom and I wanted to be by her side every minute of every day. This is the true story of a beautiful life cut short from cancer. Her Last Days This research paper will explain the main function of the pancreas and why pancreatic cancer is it so deadly? It will reveal how a person can live without a complete pancreas? This essay will cover the five stages of grief my mother experienced. I will attempt to explain the emotional aspect my mother went through. It will also talk about hospice and how they assisted us through the process. Lastly, my paper will cover how strong my mother’s faith in God was and still is. What is the main function of the pancreas? This gland is positioned in the epigastric portion of the abdomen tuck in behind the stomach (NCBI...
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...College of Nursing S.Y. 2011-2012 1ST Semester ------------------------------------------------- LESSON PLAN: PANCREATIC TUMOR ------------------------------------------------- In partial fulfillment of the requirements in RLE A - 104 Submitted to: Lodar Escobillo, RN, MAN Clinical Instructor Submitted by: Ruffalyn Joyce Doroteo Kate Penelope Dalid Mica Allaine Durana BSN 4A July 20, 2011 Topic: Pancreatic Tumor Objective | Contents | Time allotment | Strategies of teaching | References | Evaluation | At the end of 2 hours of discussion, student nurse should be able to: * Review the anatomy and physiology of the pancreas. | * The Pancreas’ * Location * Size * Functions | 10 minutes | Question and Answer portion | Tina Sanders. The Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology, 5th edition. Taiwan. F.A. Davis Company. ©2003. | The students are evaluated by actively participating in the discussion. | * Learn about Pancreatic Tumor | * The Pancreatic tumor: * Definition * Etiology * Signs and symptoms | 30 minutes | Discussion proper | * Brenda G. Bare, et. al., Medical – Surgical Nursing, Volume 1. 12th edition. Wolters Kluwer Health, Lippincott William & Wilkins. * http://www.pancreatic-tumors.com/ | | * Identify the following diagnostic test involved. | * Liver function test * Pancreatic biopsy * Computed tomography and Ultrasonography | 20 minutes | Question and Answer portion | * Brenda G. Bare...
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...Analysis of Current Pancreatic Cancer Screening Methods & Future Recommendations ABSTRACT PAGE Objective Background Results Conclusion (1) what the objectives of the study were; :) (2) how the study was done; --- (3) what results were obtained; (4) and the significance of the results. Treatment for pancreatic cancer is often no longer viable (practical) by the time the condition can be diagnosed. This is due to the lack of effective screening methods to detect the tumor or cyst in its earliest curable stages. The ability to successfully detect pancreatic cancer is highly dependent on an effective screening method with high sensitivity and specificity that can detect the tumor or cyst early in its development. In the United States, many of the current methods are too costly, too invasive, unavailable for widespread use, and lack high sensitivity and specificity. There is a strong need to find a more promising screening method that is inexpensive, noninvasive, available for widespread use, and maintains high sensitivity and specificity. The immediate objective of this research project was to evaluate the current screening methods and make a recommendation for a future screening strategy with strong potential to detect the cancer in its earliest stages while improving the sensitivity and maintaining high specificity. The first step in the investigation process was to identify a high-risk population for pancreatic cancer. Then, current screening methods were...
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...Oncology Pancreatic Cancer The pancreas is a gland behind your stomach and in front of your spine. It produces juices that help break down food and hormones that help control blood sugar levels. The most common type of pancreatic cancer arises from the exocrine glands and is called adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. The endocrine glands of the pancreas can give rise to a completely different type of cancer, referred to as pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma or islet cell tumor. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is among the most aggressive of all cancers. By the time that pancreatic cancer is diagnosed, most people already have disease that has spread to distant sites in the body. Risk Factors: * Smoking * Long-term diabetes * Chronic pancreatitis * Certain hereditary disorders * Being male * Over 60 * African American, * Eating a diet high in red meat and low in fruits and vegetables, * Being obese. Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms * Pain in the abdomen, the back, or both * * Weight loss, often associated with the following: * Loss of appetite (anorexia) * Bloating * Diarrhea or fatty bowel movements that float in water (steatorrhea) * Rarely may present with new diabetes in a person with weight loss and nausea * Jaundice (yellowing of the skin) The symptoms of pancreatic cancer are generally vague and can easily be attributed to other less serious and more common conditions. This lack of specific...
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...In October 2003, doctors discovered that Steve Jobs had a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Doctor said that Jobs was lucky because it had been detected so early, and it could be removed before it spread all around his body. At that time, he didn’t wanted doctors to open his body, so he tried to see if something else would work such as strict vegan diet, acupuncture, herbal remedies, and other alternative techniques. He ignored doctor suggestions. In June 2004, a CAT scan revealed that the tumor had grown and perhaps increased. Jobs realized he couldn’t successfully will his own cancer treatment. His surgery in July 2004 involved a modified Whipple procedure, removing part of the pancreas; but the problem was that it wasn’t a cure. Doctors found that the cancer spread to three spots on his liver during the operation. Even though Jobs was not cured, he told everyone that he had been cured. He also said that he had surgery and he that he was fine. Since he was a young boy, Steve Jobs had trained extraordinarily. His schedule involved fasting, and he would go on obsessive diets. Jobs went against doctors’ orders with his eating habits. This has created another problem for him, because the stomach needs enzymes to digest and absorb all the nutrients. This made it harder for him, after his pancreatic surgery, to get enough protein that he needed. The standard of care is to have regular meals, and a diet with a variety of proteins from meats, fish, and milk. As Isaacson...
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