Professor Minoti Apte, from the School of Medical Sciences at the University of NSW Australia, say, in the Western world, pancreatic cancer is the fourth highest cause of death due to cancer or cancer related diseases. "It's certainly devastating, because patients have a miserable prognosis. On average only lasts five years or less than five percent of all cases,''said Professor Apte.
"Many things are the cause, but the main one is delay in diagnosis," he continued.
According to Professor Apte, the high number of deaths from pancreatic cancer because the symptoms are not clear so that the diagnosis of late. Once diagnosed, the disease has spread to other organs.
Among the symptoms are hard to see it is a pain in the abdomen or just did not feel well. Depending on the position of the cancer, said Professor Apte, sometimes even no symptoms at all.
Risk factors that cause pancreatic cancer, including smoking, diabetes, and chronic wounds in the pancreatic duct. However, existing studies so far have not revealed the relationship of this cancer to lifestyle, such as drinking alcohol or diet.
It said Professor Apte, this cancer usually strikes people 65 years old. Treatment is usually undertaken are surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Based on information from NSW Cancer Council on the site, as many as 686 people in New South Wales diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year. In the state, pancreatic cancer occupying 13th position as a cancer commonly experienced by local residents.
Until now, pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that is still in research in Australia and on the other side to be one cause of death. "Therefore, pancreatic cancer remains deadly like 50 years ago," says the site.
