Why is pancreatic cancer so deadly?

Pancreatic cancer is typically diagnosed at a late stage because it doesn't cause symptoms until it's too late. Weight loss, abdominal pain, jaundice [a yellowing of the skin due to toxic buildup in the liver]—those are the most common symptoms. read more

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of death from cancer in the United States, after lung, colon and breast cancer. The lifetime risk of developing it is about 1 in 71. This year, about 44,030 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and the disease will kill about 37,660 people, according to the American Cancer Society. read more

pancreatic cancer is a disease with a very poor survival rate. One reason is because it is notoriously difficult to spot in the early stages, but even when it is diagnosed early, fewer than a third of patients survive. Now, a new study may help explain why pancreatic cancer is so deadly. read more

Unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting. Back pain is another one, because the pancreas is very posterior in the body. Back pain is also the most common complaint that patients go to an emergency room for, and most of the time it's just muscle pain—it's not pancreatic cancer. read more

Pancreatic cancer is usually controllable only through removal by surgery, and only if found before it has spread, according to the National Cancer Institute. Palliative care can help a patient's quality of life if the disease has spread. read more

A diseased pancreas is not, in itself, a death sentence. It is the collateral damage to other organs that makes pancreatic cancer so dangerous. The pancreas is a six-inch-long organ that secretes digestive enzymes and hormones such as insulin. It continues to function semi-normally even with a tumor growing inside. read more