Early-stage pancreatic cancer is primarily treated with surgery. However, only about half of early-stage pancreatic cancer patients in the U.S. are referred to a surgeon or a comprehensive cancer center and undergo surgery. Roswell Park is a high-volume center for performing pancreatic surgery using minimally-invasive techniques such as robotic surgery.
A common misconception about pancreatic cancer is that is has few treatment options and a grim prognosis. However, pancreatic cancer is treatable and potentially curable if caught early enough. But unlike mammography for breast cancer or the PSA test for prostate cancer, there isn't an effective way to screen the general population for pancreatic cancer. It's important to learn whether you may have increased risk for pancreatic cancer and know the potential symptoms.
Know your risk for pancreatic cancer
While pancreatic cancer is more common in men than in woman, and more common among African Americans than other population groups, an exact cause of the cancer remains unclear. Several factors, however, are known to increase your risk for developing the disease. These include:
You can reduce or eliminate some risk factors for pancreatic cancer. These include:
- Smoking (the risk for smokers is double that of never-smokers)
- Obesity
- Exposure to toxic chemicals — for example, pesticides and asbestos
- High consumption of red meat
- Heavy alcohol use
- Diabetes (especially type 2), which is often linked to obesity
- Chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), which is more common among people who drink heavily or smoke
- Acute and lasting change of bowel habits with incompletely digested food or oily bowel movements
Other risk factors cannot be changed:
- Age (Most people who develop pancreatic cancer are over age 45.)
- Having certain genetic conditions, such as Lynch syndrome, or genetic mutations such as BRCA, ATM, or PALB2
- Family history of pancreatic cancer
If you have a family member who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, or you have a known genetic condition, we can help. Our genetics team can provide a genetic evaluation, assess your risk for cancer and help you manage your health moving forward.
Know the symptoms of pancreatic cancer
Like many cancers, however, it presents few warning signs and these often resemble other illnesses, such as diabetes. Be sure to alert your doctor to any of the following:
- Dark urine, pale stools
- Stools that float in the toilet
- Middle back pain, that is unrelieved by position change
- Non-specific upper belly pain
- Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
- Persistent nausea and vomiting
- Unexplained weight loss
- Loss of appetite; feeling of fullness
If you have two or more of the above symptoms, talk to your doctor about specifically being evaluated for pancreatic cancer, especially if you smoke or formerly smoked, or you have a family history of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic Cancer Risk Assessment
Find out if you qualify for pancreatic cancer screening at Roswell Park.
Comprehensive care from a team of experts, including surgical, medical and radiation oncologists, who specialize in treating pancreatic cancer offers the best chance for treatment success. Even for patients whose cancer was not detected early, new advances in treatment including targeted therapy and immunotherapy, and novel options through clinical trials are offering more ways to maximize your outcomes.
Roswell Park is proud to be one of only 42 centers nationwide recognized as an NPF Center for pancreatic cancer.
