 |
|
Home
Home > Prevention and Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer
Prevention and Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer
Here’s what you need to know
You Can Control
Some Risk FactorsWe don’t know exactly what causes pancreatic cancer, so there is not any absolute way to prevent it. There are some risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer. You can control some of them, but not all of them. However, it’s helpful to know if you have a higher risk.
-
Don’t smoke. Heavy smoking increases your risk of pancreatic cancer 2-3 times.
-
Avoid eating a lot of red meat and pork, especially processed meats like bacon and sausage. They may be linked to increased risk.
-
Maintain a healthy weight. People with a body mass index of 30 or more are 20 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
-
Chemical exposure at work. Insecticides, dyes and gasoline products contain chemicals that may increase your risk.
-
Diabetes. Pancreatic cancer is more common in people with this disease.
-
Chronic pancreatitis. This disease is a long-term inflammation of the pancreas, and it slightly increases your risk of pancreatic cancer.
-
Stomach problems. Having too much stomach acid or having bacteria called H. pylori in the stomach may increase your risk.
-
Family history. Cancer of the pancreas seems to run in families and may account for up to 10 percent of all cases.
Almost 90 percent of people who get pancreatic cancer are 55 or older. It is more common in men than in women, and more common in African-Americans than whites.
Can Pancreatic Cancer Be Found Early?It is very hard to detect pancreatic cancer early. Many symptoms that may mean pancreatic cancer are also symptoms of other problems, so they don’t usually mean cancer. If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor.
-
Jaundice. Yellow color of eyes and skin.
-
Pain in the belly (abdomen) or middle of the back.
-
Unexpected weight loss
-
Digestive problems caused by the inability to break down fat, especially stools that are pale, bulky, greasy and float in the toilet
This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
|
|
|
