Chances of survival are as bad as 40 years ago

After the diagnosis patients, with an average of 4.6 months: In contrast to many other types of cancer, more and more people in the European Union die of pancreatic cancer. This was the result of a report by the European gastroenterology Association. The number of deaths in the EU had increased between 1990 and 2016 and by 62 per cent, of 56.072 on 90.591.

EU-life-far-only three percent of the patients in whom a so-called pancreatic cancer, it was found, nor longer than five years after diagnosis and are considered cured. Thus, the chances of Survival for this cancer have improved in the past 40 years, not a piece, according to the authors of the report.

The Tumor is often detected at a late stage

“On pancreatic cancer more than 90 percent of the patients in Germany are still dying,” says Alexander Stein from the cancer centre of the Hamburg University hospital Eppendorf (UKE). “It is of the Tumor, in which all new therapies worse to apply than other types of cancer.” Although the number of new increases in colon cancer and breast cancer, at the same time, these types of cancer would be discovered, but earlier and earlier, and are increasingly treatable.

Cancer of the pancreas (pancreatic) was induced in the year 2015 is the fourth most common cause of death from cancer in Germany. According to the Federal statistical office, around 17,000 people – more than seven per cent of all deaths from cancer died from it. One of the lungs were, therefore, – and lung cancer, along with more than 45,000, colon cancer with 24,000 and breast cancer with more than 18,000 dead.

The pancreas has two important functions: it produces digestive juices, without which man could not digest food. On the other hand, it forms a vital hormones such as Insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cancer is usually discovered only when the Tumor has become so great that symptoms occur. These are non-specific, so the cause is not always recognized. Symptoms include:

  • Pain in the upper abdomen,
  • Nausea and vomiting,
  • Digestive disorders,
  • Loss of appetite,
  • unusual weight loss,
  • in some cases, also the Occurrence of Diabetes or jaundice.

“About half of the patients, the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis already,” says cancer specialist stone. “Then only a permanent chemotherapy helps to prolong the life of something.” A good third of all cases, it is possible to remove the Tumor surgically. “But these people in a sole Operation for five years offers seen only a chance of Survival by 10 percent.” Therefore, combination one kidney the surgery with chemotherapy. Then, 20 to 30 percent of these patients recover after all.

New therapies to beat

Overall, chemotherapy regimens are effective in patients with pancreatic cancer is worse than for other types of cancer. This is due to the structure of this tumor, which is so dense that drugs can be worse penetration.

Also, the immune therapy, which is considered among the experts currently, the biggest hope in the fight against cancer, seems to be able to against tumors in the pancreas do little. In this new therapy, patients are given medicines to bring your body’s own immune system to degenerate to recognize cells and to fight. The black skin cancer the work well, even in the case of other types of cancer, there are promising studies. “The pancreatic cancer that doesn’t work,” says stone. This type of cancer will not be recognized by the immune system.

Causes for pancreatic cancer

Why it ever comes to pancreatic cancer, is almost unknown. Risk factors include Smoking and a high consumption of processed meat products. Currently, researchers from Israel reported that obesity in adolescence is glands the risk of a future pancreatic cancer multiply. In men, slightly Overweight from rich to increase the vulnerability, wrote the scientists from the University of Tel Aviv in the journal “Cancer”. For the study, they had analysed the data of nearly two million people.

In addition to Smoking and Obesity, the European gastroenterological Association, the following risk factors, lists in his report:

  • Cases of pancreatic cancer in the immediate family
  • Excessive Consumption Of Alcohol
  • Chronic inflammation of the pancreas
  • Diabetes

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