How do you get Pancreatic Cancer?


RIP STEVE JOBS 1955-2011

We woke up to the sad news that Apple Icon Steve Jobs had passed away. Inventor of the iPod (music in your pocket), iPhone (cool phone) and iPad (really cool computer thing in your hands).

He died after battling Pancreatic Cancer for some time. A friend of mine asked me how you get this cancer and I decided to blog about it so that you may look out for the symptoms and avoid the risk factors.

Pancreatic Cancer Causes

The main recognized risk factors for pancreatic cancer include the following:

Smoking
Advanced age
Male sex - The male-to-female ratio of pancreatic cancer is 1.3:1.
Chronic pancreatitis - Inflammation of the pancreas, usually from excessive alcohol intake or gallstones
Diabetes mellitus
Family history of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

The main symptoms of pancreatic cancer include the following:

Pain in the abdomen, the back, or both
Weight loss, often associated with the following:
- Loss of appetite (anorexia)
- Bloating
- Diarrhea or fatty bowel movements that float in water (steatorrhea)
- Rarely may present with new diabetes in a person with weight loss and nausea
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin)

The symptoms of pancreatic cancer are generally vague and can easily be attributed to other less serious and more common conditions. This lack of specific symptoms explains the high number of people who have a more advanced stage of disease when pancreatic cancer is discovered.

When to Seek Medical Care

Seeking immediate medical attention is important if any of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer occur. If pain, unexplained weight loss, or jaundice persists despite initial medical treatments, further evaluation should be pursued in a timely fashion.

Find out more from emedicine.

Comments

Saving Mandy

When you have influence, it is your duty to stand up for others and help others up too We had so much in common. We were both born and grew up in the same sleepy hometown of Bulawayo, almost same neighborhood. We attended the same high school, some years apart, but both proud and loud Convent girls. At some point, we must have taken the same Parklands surburb bus from City Hall to home. Our siblings almost same age-groups; our families and friends intertwined all the way back to roots in Dombodema rural home. We both went on to study medicine, she did dentistry, I did MBChB. But eventually we both did a masters in Public Health in the same programme at the University of Zimbabwe. We both got married and set up home in Harare. Bulawayo girls stick together when they arrive in the big bad city. When I had Anashe, she had Siyabonga. We were both pregnant in 2018. Being senior medical professionals we both had access to the “best” medical care. We both had Cesarian Sections...

Do Long Distance Relationships Work?

Health is defined as a state of physical, mental and social well-being (WHO 1946). Did you notice the SOCIAL part? Many doctors overlook this integral part of their patients needs. I have decided to tackle this issue of long-distance relationships because countless friends and family in couples are separated due to job obligations, school or other circumstances. So the question is: do long distance relationships actually work? Who are you dating? Joe Tracy, publisher of Online Dating Magazine believes that long distance relationships require very strong trust, commitment, guidelines and communication. " Studies show that a majority of people involved in long distance relationships eventually break up. That's why you see so many "experts" proclaiming that long distance relationships are a bad idea and don't work. Yet if you learn to master communication and set the parameters of your relationship, it can work. It's an uphill battle, but it is possible ...

First 136 Hours of Love - My Week One of Motherhood

Firstly for those guys who don't have kids and are thinking 'oh no, not another baby post'...I used to be you. And yes I still think most newborn babies look exactly the same - like prunes; I don't get why we need moment by moment feeds of a baby's every move when they all generally do the same thing right, and generally bored by the milestone photo's (how are we celebrating someone using a toilet alone? they better be!) Okay I am not that disinterested. Some babies are cute like the ones on beautifulblackbabies.com. But that's another post. The thing is now that I am on the other side of things, I sorta get it. No, no I am not selling out, let me try and explain in 10 simple points stuff I have learnt about being a mum in the last 135 hours since my world was turned up-side down. 1. My baby is the best. No, seriously. This is what every parent thinks. They have the best facial expressions, the best fingers, even the best poo! And the reason parents post a...

It's SteeTime!

Search This Blog