Why is pancreatic cancer so deadly?
The pancreas is an organ deep within the body. It is located in the abdomen, right in front of the spine. Unfortunately, because of the location of the pancreas, most patients do not develop symptoms until the disease is advanced. By the time the cancer is detected it has escaped the local region of the pancreas and it spreads very rapidly into adjacent organs or regional lymph nodes, and/or systemically to the liver, lungs, and beyond. Compounding the problem, pancreatic cancer is not very responsive to chemotherapy or radiation. Surgery can occasionally cure pancreatic cancer, but usually only in cases where the tumor is very small. Only 25% of cancer patients are candidates for surgical treatment. Currently, there is no screening blood test for pancreatic cancer. It is rare for a person diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to achieve a cure. What is Familial Pancreatic Cancer? Pancreatic cancer is inherited in at least 10% of cases; the risk of a person developing pancreatic cancer is i
