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Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Cost in Delhi

Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Cost in Delhi

Pancreatic cancer, as can be understood from the name, is cancer that affects the pancreas. It is an organ of size 6 inches that lies behind the stomach’s lower part at the back of the abdomen. The pancreas helps release enzymes that facilitate digestion and produces hormones that help in managing the level of blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer happens at the time when there is an uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the pancreas which further develops into tumors and hinders its functioning. The worst thing about pancreatic cancer is that it often does not show any symptoms until the later stages which is precisely the reason why it becomes quite difficult to manage. If you have been diagnosed with the disease, it would be ideal to opt for pancreatic cancer treatment in Delhi without wasting any time.

Types of Pancreatic Cancer

Cancer in the pancreas can affect either the endocrine glands or exocrine glands. Depending on the affected glands, pancreatic cancer is classified into two types.

  1.     Exocrine Pancreatic Cancer

Malignant tumors affecting the exocrine functions are referred to as exocrine pancreatic cancer and occur very commonly.

  1.     Endocrine Pancreatic Cancer

Endocrine pancreatic cancer is fairly uncommon and affects the endocrine functions of the pancreas, hence referred to as endocrine cancer.

Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

It is of immense importance to identify the symptoms of pancreatic cancer for getting the proper as well as timely treatment. Let us delve a bit deeper into the topic to understand the symptoms and pay a timely visit for pancreatic cancer treatment in Delhi.

Pancreatic cancer is very often referred to as a ‘silent disease’. It is because the disease does not show any symptoms until the later stages, thereby making it difficult to identify and opt for a treatment plan. Thus, it becomes important to keep an eye on the following signs and symptoms that indicate pancreatic cancer.

  • Feeling of pain in the upper abdomen area that radiates to the back as the growing tumor pushes against the nerves
  • Loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea
  • Sudden weight loss without any specific reason
  • Yellowing of skin and the white part of the eyes that is jaundice
  • Fatigue, tiredness, and weakness without any cause
  • Urine color turns dark
  • Light-colored, pale, or grey stool
  • Itchy skin
  • Formation of blood clots

In addition to this, there can be some other signs too for which it would be ideal to visit a doctor for an appropriate diagnosis.

Causes and Risk Factors of Pancreatic Cancer

Medical science has not yet found the exact reason for the uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas. But there are a few causatives as well as risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer that are listed below.

Genetic Factors

Changes or mutations in the DNA of a person can damage the genes responsible for cell division. Heredity can be a major causative factor in the case of pancreatic cancer. If there is evidence of someone in the family having pancreatic cancer, it can continue to run in families.

Sex

It has been observed that pancreatic cancer affects men more often as compared to women. Thus, men are at a greater risk of pancreatic cancer than women.

Environmental Factors

There are a few substances that might enhance the risk of developing pancreatic cancer such as pesticides, chemicals used in refining metals, and dyes. At the time when our body comes in contact with the carcinogens in the free radical form, they tend to damage the cells and hinders their normal functioning, thereby resulting in the growth of cancerous cells.

Medical Factors

Age is another risk factor in developing pancreatic cancer. Individuals above the age of 60 are at higher risk as compared to the ones below that age. There are a few pieces of evidence of pancreatic cancer linked with other diseases as mentioned below.

  • Inflammation of the pancreas or chronic pancreatitis
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Liver cirrhosis
  • Stomach infection with H. pylori, a bacteria that causes ulcer
  • Periodontal disease or gingivitis

So, individuals having any of the diseases mentioned above are at increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Lifestyle Factors

Some lifestyle factors that can cause pancreatic cancer are as follows.

  • Excessive smoking or exposure to tobacco
  • Long term and heavy consumption of alcohol
  • A diet that is high in red meat and excess fat content with low fruits & veggies
  • Obese or excess body weight and a lack of exercise

If you feel you need help in this regard, it is always recommended to go for treatment without delay since delay can cause cancer to worsen and become life-threatening.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The overall pancreatic cancer treatment cost in Delhi is the total of diagnosis as well as treatment. When the doctor begins with treatment in Delhi, they conduct a thorough diagnosis which includes the following.

  • Imaging tests like CT scan, MRI, and PET scans to get a clear picture of the pancreas
  • An endoscopic ultrasound to get pictures
  • Removal of a tissue sample to test for cancer or biopsy
  • Different blood tests for specific proteins that indicate tumors

After the diagnosis is over, the doctor confirms the occurrence of cancer and begins with treatment procedures that vary from patient to patient depending on the following.

  • The type of pancreatic cancer
  • Its present stage
  • Condition of the patient such as age, health status, and other characteristics
  • Personal choices of patients and their family members

The common treatment options for pancreatic cancer include the following.

Surgery

The surgery is aimed at removing the entire pancreas or a part of it to eliminate the cancer cells. There are three types of usual surgical procedures.

  1. Whipple Procedure – This is a common surgical procedure that involves removal of the pancreas head and sometimes the whole pancreas along with a part of the stomach, lymph nodes, duodenum, and other tissues as per the need.
  2. Distal Pancreatectomy – This involves surgical removal of pancreas tail and sometimes other parts of the pancreas including the spleen as per the need.
  3. Total Pancreatectomy – In this surgery, the entire pancreas, as well as the spleen, is removed.

Chemotherapy

It is the treatment option that hinders the cell division process of cancerous cells and restricts their growth as well as spread. The treatment is usually carried out in cycles to give healing time to the body between the medicine doses.

Radiation Therapy

In radiation therapy, high-energy rays are passed through the cancer cells to destroy them. It results in the shrinking of the tumor or cancer cells, thereby resulting in their destruction.

The overall pancreatic cancer treatment cost in Delhi tends to vary from patient to patient depending on their condition and requirements. The exact cost cannot be specified but it can range somewhere between 3 to 4 lakhs. Moreover, the doctor can use a combination of treatment procedures which might result in increasing the treatment cost to some extent.

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