Alarming symptoms: Attention on the fat in the stool in the case of pancreatic cancer!

Alarming symptoms: Attention on the fat in the stool in the case of pancreatic cancer!

pancreatic cancer, known as a pancreatic carcinoma, is the second most common cancer of the gastrointestinal tract after colon cancer. Every year, around 19,000 people in Germany develop this disease. The high mortality rate is in contrast to the often late discoveries that significantly reduce the chances of recovery. Many patients are already in an advanced stage in the diagnosis, which means that the choice of therapy is severely restricted.

Especially in the early stages, the symptoms are not very specific and can easily be confused with other diseases. General symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and weight loss are among the most common signs. Often, those affected also report on the abdominal pain that radiates in the back in a belt, as well as painless jaundice (Ikterus). Another significant warning signal is the fat chair, which indicates exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. This happens when the tumor affects the growth of the pancreas and thus restricted the production of digestive juices. t-online.de reported that new complaints are clarified by a doctor should, especially if they have existed for two to four weeks.

The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is often only made at a late stage. However, the chances of recovery improve considerably if the tumor can be classified as operable. According to the Cancer information service There are certain prerequisites for surgery: The tumor must be completely removed, the patient's general condition must not allow this. In a few patients it is therefore possible to carry out healing operation.

If surgery is no longer possible, for example due to local progress of the tumor or metastases, the treatment primarily aims to improve the quality of life and relieve symptoms. The therapy can include the derivation of bile through stents. Palliative treatment is also crucial for the many affected ones because it helps to control the symptoms and maintain the quality of life in this difficult phase.

forecast and survival

The probability of survival after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is sobering. After five years, it is around 6.4% for men and around 7.6% for women. However, the chances rise when the tumor can be recognized and surgically removed at an early stage. In operable cases, the five -year survival rate is between 22 and 37%, depending on the time of recognition. With an advanced tumor or metastases, this rate drops dramatically to 0.2 to 0.4%.

The most common form of pancreatic cancer is adenocarcinoma, which is 80 to 90% of cases and is considered particularly aggressive. The forecast for patients with this form is unfortunately bad, since many affected people die within three to five months after the diagnosis. In contrast, endocrine tumors grow slower and have a better prognosis. The palliative measures and a supportive, psycho -oncological support are recommended to help those affected in this difficult time. Medicine.plus emphasizes that even if the cancer is not curable, the quality of life can maintain.