>> >> >>Pancreatic cancer: Risk factors >>Early symptoms vague >> >> >> >> >>The sad news of the death of Steve Jobs has brought pancreatic cancer into >>the headlines. >>The Apple co-founder underwent surgery in 2004 for an islet cell >>neuroendocrine tumour, >>a rare and less aggressive type of pancreatic cancer. >>This - and excellent medical care - is probably why he lived so long with the >>disease. >>Each year, more than 7,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic >>cancer, >>and around 6,500 die of it. Of the most common cancers, it has the worst >>survival rate. >> >> >>Just three per cent of patients live for five years or more after being >>diagnosed with the disease, >>a figure which has remained static over the last 40 years. >>UK pancreatic cancer survival figures also lag behind other European >>countries, as well as the US, >>Canada and Australia, according to a recent report by charity Pancreatic >>Cancer UK. >>In countries such as Canada and Australia, reported survival rates are double >>those of the UK. >> >> >>Part of the reason is that the disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose >>in the early stages. >>Some of the most common early symptoms - stomach pain, nausea, jaundice, >>weight loss, >>fever - can be caused by several other conditions. >> >> >>However, the Study for Survival report, based on the experiences of nearly >>1,000 patients, >>found that more than 50 per cent of pancreatic cancer patients experience >>symptoms >>up to a year before being diagnosed, >>with nearly a third of all patients making five or more visits to the doctor. >>By the time they are diagnosed, the disease is often in its advanced stages, >>which can limit treatment options. >> >> >>Risk factors >>Age >>Pancreatic cancer is more common in older people. >>Eight out of ten people who develop the disease are aged over 60. >> >> >>Smoking >>Smoking increases your risk of a number of lethal diseases, including >>pancreatic cancer. >>Up to one in five pancreatic cancers may be linked to smoking cigarettes, >>cigars or chewing tobacco. >> >> >>Blood group >>People with the blood groups A, A/B or B are more likely to develop the >>disease than people >>with blood group O. >> >> >>Medical conditions >>Diabetes may be linked to an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. >>Chronic pancreatitis has been shown to raise the risk of developing the >>disease. >> >> >>Hereditary >>Around one in ten cases of pancreatic cancer are thought to be caused by >>inherited genes >>which predispose them to developing the disease. >>People who are already at risk of a number of familial cancer syndromes >>linked to faulty genes are >>at a greater risk of pancreatic cancer. These include breast cancer >>associated with the BRCA1 >>and BRCA2 genes, familial atypical mole melanoma, hereditary non-polyposis >>colorectal cancer, >>familial adenomatous polyposis, >>and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. >> >> >>Prevention >>A healthy lifestyle can help to reduce your risk of cancer, including >>pancreatic cancer. >>Limit saturated fat and sugar, eat at least five portions of fruit and >>vegetables each day, >>try to maintain a healthy weight and keep physically active. >>There is some evidence to suggest that lycopene (found in tomatoes) >>and vitamin C may help protect against pancreatic cancer. >> >> >> >> > >
