Does anyone know anything about pancreatic cancer?

Question

My grandmother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about last November. I did research, but it didn't help very much. So I was just wondering does anyone know the average life span for a pancreatic cancerous patient? Do you know of anyone that has survived? Or ANYTHING about it, if so, please tell me!

Answer 1

CANCER - PANCREATIC CANCER -

For answering various questions asked by you, we should know several details and history of disease to tell you something correctly. Without the details, if I given any information, it will be wrong and I do not want to do that since Cancer is still an enigma and we have to give treatments correctly.

You should have informed the age of the patient, general health of the patient, stage and grade of the disease, what are the treatments viz. surgery, chemotherapy and Radiation therapy given to her so far. When the disease is diagonalized in November last year and she has been carrying on in these 10 months., she should get cured shortly, by giving correct treatements. I also feel it should be in the initial stages say - stage I or II so in all propobility she would surviv or long time. I pray for her speedy recovery.

Best of luck-

Answer 2

Pancreatic cancer is cancer arising in the enzyme-secreting tissue of the pancreas, the gland that lies behind the stomach & produces insulin & some oof the enzymes used in digestion of food. The main symptom is increasingly severe abdominal pain, which often spreads through to the back. Other symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss & tiredness. The pancreatic duct joins the common bile duct before entering the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). If the joined duct becomes invaded & blocked by cancer cells, Jaundice developes. Diagnosis is by ultrsound or CAT scan. Early treatment by surgical removal of the pancreas, plus chemotherapy &/or radiotherapy, may cure the patient, but most pancreatic cancers are not discovered until they have spread to adjacent organs & to the liver & lungs via the blood.

Answer 3

I hate to answer this question for you, because the answers are so devastating. I'm so very sorry to hear about your grandmother. Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is the cancer that carries the highest rate of mortality out of all of them (over 99% of patients diagnosed with this cancer will not live through it). It's extremely hard to detect early enough to treat it successfully because it frequently carries few symptoms in the early stages. So, it's much more likely that people who are diagnosed with this form of cancer are already at a fairly advanced stage.

The "average" life span for pancreatic cancer patients is less than six months after diagnosis (but please keep in mind that since this is the average, half the patients lived LONGER than six months -- your grandmother could have years left in her, despite the fact that complete remission from this cancer is very very rare). The majority of patients (but again,not all of them!) are not alive after five years. Almost none experience complete remission. However, new research is being done right now on this disease, with new treatments in the works as we speak.

I would suggest that you try to spend as much time with your grandmother as you can, listening to her needs and desires and being as supportive and strong for her as possible. Every thing you can do to make this easier for her gives her that much more of a fighting chance.

Answer 4

pancreatic cancer patients in general have a very low survivability rate. because of the abundant free space in the abdomen it can occupy it is rarely detected early simply because it doesnt have obvious manifestations. so often it is already at an advanced stage when it is discovered. sorry to say but if it is already at an advanced stage then prognosis for your grandma is bleak. pancreatic cancer methastisize rapidly because it is surrounded by soft tissues( basically all the internal organs in the abdomen are relatively easy to penetrate). more often than not this form is only discovered when it has already reached most of its adjacent organs...so sorry...

Answer 5

Hurry to get your hugs and kisses in.

The worst thing about it is that patients will seem to be stable, and die without warning, or they will seem to be on their last legs and linger forever. That's true with other terminal illnesses as well, but apparently to a much greater degree with pancreatic cancer.

I'm sorry. Give her an extra hug for me, to make up for a hug I never had time to give.

Answer 6

I'm sooooooo sorry to hear about your grandmother. I do not know anyone who's had that. My sister had colon cancer and beat it, but that's very treatable if caught on time. I found a page of statistics and info. on it that you've probably seen already, but here it is:
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/p/pancreatic_cancer/stats.htm
Just from commercials, has anyone in your family considered a place like "Cancer Treatment Centers of America"? I put the link below for your info.-A page where a survivor of it talks about it, and I'd maybe check out the rest of the site:
http://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-survivors/peggy-kessler.cfm
I hope things go very very well with your grandmother!!!!!!!!, Good Luck!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

I've heard that it's a really pretty bad form of cancer. I don't know much about it, but that the survival rate is low. Sorry.

Answer 8

In general, not much can be done.On the plus side, if she is 75+ years, it will grow slowly-everything is a bit slower with age.There are always,always exceptions to every rule and sometimes miracles happen. Just spend your time enjoying her company and keep a written journal of things she tells you about. Laughter-not long faces-is what she needs. God bless.

Answer 9

cancer is the leading cause of death in america.