'Cancer King' Pancreatic cancer, many people mistaken for stomach disease! 5 anomalies that may be its footsteps
The 47-year-old Mr. Wang has been socializing outside in order to expand his business. Recently, his stomach has been uncomfortable. He thought that drinking too much alcohol would hurt his stomach, so he bought stomach medicine at the pharmacy, but his condition kept recurring. After two months, Mr. Wang still took time to do a gastroscopy, and the result showed superficial gastritis .
In order to recuperate, Mr. Wang turned away unnecessary entertainment and began to take medicine according to the doctor's order. But for half a year, my stomach has always been faintly uncomfortable, and my weight has been dropping recently . In a recent re-examination, it was found that Mr. Wang's tumor index CA19-9 was high, and he was suspected to be a pancreatic tumor. He underwent a CT scan of the upper abdomen. Sure enough, a tumor was found in Mr. Wang's pancreatic body...
Although pancreatic cancer is not a high-incidence cancer, its malignancy is extremely high. Famous tenor Pavarotti and Hong Kong star Shen Dianxia have all been killed by pancreatic cancer, which is also known as the "King of Cancer".
1. Why Pancreatic Cancer is the "Cancer King"
The location of the pancreas is relatively “secret”. It is located deep in the abdominal cavity, lying on the back of the peritoneum, and is wrapped in layers by the duodenum, omentum, and colon. Therefore, if there is a problem with the pancreas, it is generally difficult to find it through routine examinations.
Pancreatic cancer has no typical symptoms in the early stage and is not easy to detect. Moreover , pancreatic cancer has a high degree of malignancy, is not sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy , and has a poor prognosis. The 5-year survival rate of patients is less than 1%.
At present, the cause of pancreatic cancer is still unclear, and possible triggering factors include :
Smoking: The primary risk factor, smokers are 1.5 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than non-smokers and increase with the number of cigarettes smoked.
Alcohol abuse: Long-term alcohol stimulation may damage pancreatic tissue and induce pancreatitis.
Diet structure: Uneven diet, eating more meat and high carbohydrates is related to the incidence of pancreatic cancer.
Genetics: Pancreatic cancer has a genetic susceptibility, and about 10% of pancreatic cancer patients have a genetic background.
Certain chronic diseases: People with diabetes are 4 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than others. Chronic pancreatitis is one of the precancerous lesions of pancreatic cancer, especially chronic calcific pancreatitis.
2. Don’t treat pancreatic cancer as a stomach disease
Problems with the pancreas often manifest as digestive dysfunction, especially upper abdominal discomfort, which is easily regarded as a stomach disease.
In the early stage of the pancreas, the tumor diameter is less than 2 cm, and there are generally no specific symptoms. Only a few people may experience unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite. When the tumor diameter exceeds 3 cm, symptoms such as abdominal pain, low back pain, and indigestion may occur.
At present, more than 60% of patients are easily misdiagnosed as stomach disease, chronic cholecystitis, etc., thus delaying the best time for treatment. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness of the disease, especially among those at high risk of pancreatic cancer.
·Age over 40 years old with upper abdominal discomfort;
Have a family history of pancreatic cancer;
· Sudden diabetes, especially atypical diabetes, over 60 years of age, lack of family history, no obesity, and soon develop insulin resistance;
· patients with chronic pancreatitis;
· Patients with benign lesions undergoing distal subtotal gastrectomy, especially those more than 20 years after surgery.
3. When 5 major symptoms appear, be alert to the pancreas
Because pancreatic cancer is easy to be misdiagnosed and difficult to detect, when the following five symptoms appear, special attention should be paid to investigation:
1. Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain is a common symptom in the early stage of pancreatic cancer, and it generally presents three different types of pain.
·Dull pain: Dull pain can occur when the tumor compresses the pancreatic duct and causes high pressure.
Paroxysmal epigastric pain: When the tumor is located at the outlet of the pancreaticobiliary duct, the patient may experience episodic epigastric pain after meals.
·Persistent low back pain at night: Tumor infiltration and compression of these nerve fiber plexuses can cause low back pain, and the severity is severe. Patients often sit or lie on their backs all night.
2. Jaundice
About 30% of pancreatic head cancers have symptoms of painless jaundice. Jaundice is usually persistent and deepening, and it is more obvious that the color of the stool fades as the jaundice deepens, and it is clay-colored. Many patients experience itchy skin due to obstructive jaundice.
3. Gastrointestinal symptoms
About 60% of pancreatic cancer patients have gastrointestinal symptoms in the early stage, including loss of appetite, dislike of greasy food, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, etc.
4. Weight loss and fatigue
Due to the affected pancreatic function, patients will experience symptoms such as anorexia and indigestion. With insufficient nutrient supply, the body will become more and more exhausted, and even affect daily work.
5. Diabetes
A small number of patients initially manifested as symptoms of diabetes, that is, before the main symptoms of pancreatic cancer such as abdominal pain and jaundice appeared, they developed diabetes first, and it could also be manifested as a recent exacerbation of the condition of long-term diabetic patients, or the change of measures that could control the disease. be invalid.
The tertiary prevention of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is so "good at hiding" that its prevention is extremely important.
Primary Prevention: Etiological Prevention
The incidence of pancreatic cancer is closely related to lifestyle, so it is necessary to eliminate the self and environmental factors related to the occurrence of pancreatic cancer:
Avoid high animal protein and high fat diets, do not smoke, avoid overeating and alcoholism, keep exercising, maintain a good mood, and reduce exposure to harmful chemicals such as naphthylamine and aniline.
Secondary Prevention: Three Early Prevention
Namely: early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment. The 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer with a diameter of less than 2CM is 20%-40%, and the 5-year survival rate of adenocarcinoma with a diameter of less than 1CM can reach 67%. Therefore, we should be alert to the appearance of related symptoms and pay close attention to high-risk groups, and pay attention to regular physical examinations. , B-ultrasound is the preferred method for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer .
Tertiary Prevention: Aggressive Treatment
The tertiary prevention is mainly symptomatic treatment, preventing the deterioration of the disease, reducing the adverse effects of the disease, and preventing recurrence and metastasis. For patients who have lost their labor force, psychotherapy can stabilize emotions and help restore the ability to create labor force and mental aggravation.
Pancreatic cancer is good at camouflage and is prone to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. Any discomfort in the body may be a clue of the disease. It is still necessary to take the initiative to consult a doctor and find the source of the symptoms in time.
References:
[1] "This cancer likes to "disguise" as a stomach disease, and 5 high-risk groups are easily targeted. Life Times. 2020-09-30
[2] "Reminder: Pancreatic cancer, sometimes like "stomach disease". Lan Shiting. 2016-03-31
[3] "60% of this disease is misdiagnosed, and 80% is found in the late stage! Doctor's advice: beware of its 5 major signs! 》.Medical Cancer Association.2020-11-11
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