Are you one of the 3%? What you need to know about pancreatic cancer.
Although pancreatic cancer isn’t very common (about 3% of all cancers in America), it’s a cancer that can be hard to find and currently there is no “good” screening for this cancer. However, there may be options for people with a higher risk: genetic testing.
Genetic testing is the sequencing of DNA to find differences, abnormalities and mutations. In other words, doing a genetic test for pancreatic cancer isn’t testing for the cancer itself rather than looking for inherited conditions of pancreatic cancer.
*If you are at high risk of pancreatic cancer, be sure to speak with your primary care doctor and a genetics team before testing.
What researchers have found over the last few years is that the BRCA2, p16 and the genes responsible for Lynch syndrome can actually increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. They also know that pancreatic cancer develops in stages called pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN). PanIN1 has very few changes, but in PanIN2 and PanIN3 you can visibly see abnormalities on the pancreas through imaging. The hopes of this research are to develop a screening for these genes to try and detect pancreatic cancer earlier.
Until that test is available, it’s important to know the risk factors and symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
Risk Factors
Tobacco use
Obesity
Diabetes
Chronic pancreatitis
Family medical history
Age
Gender
Race
Symptoms
Itchy skin
Weight loss
Dark-colored urine
Light-colored stools
Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes
Fatigue
Abdominal pain that radiate to your back
Even if symptoms don’t normally occur until advanced stages of pancreatic cancer or you don’t fit into one of these “risk factors”, be sure to bring up any concerns with your primary care doctor. Many other diseases can cause similar symptoms, don’t be shy if you are wanting a second opinion, your doctor won’t mind!
Written By: Carolyn Reece, MSDM
Reviewed By: Srilata Gundala, MD
