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How do you get Pancreatic Cancer?

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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.

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