Pancreatic cancer can be a silent killer. In United State, pancreatic
cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death. But, in Malaysia, it is a quite
rare type of cancer. According to the Malaysian Cancer Registry’s latest report
in 2006, there was a total of 253 cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed in that
year. This is in comparison to the total of 21,773 cancer cases. Pancreatic
cancer is quite aggressive. Those who have metastasised pancreatic cancer only
have a few years to survive. In Malaysia, most patients who suffer with this
type of cancer are between 60-69 years old.
There are many risk factors of pancreatic cancer. Smokers are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than non-smokers. Smoking cessation can reduce the occurrence of the cancer. African-American are diagnosed more frequently than other races with pancreatic cancer. However, it does not mean that other races cannot get this type of cancer and the diverse ratio of diagnoses among ethnic groups in not yet clear. People with 50 years old and above have high risk to pancreatic cancer. Diabetic patients are tend to get pancreatic cancer. In terms of family history, about 10% of cases are thought to be related to inherited genetic mutations.
Pancreatic cancer can affect the digestion process in body. This is because of the imbalance production of enzymes produced by pancreas. Lipase is one of the enzyme that helps in breaking down fat in food. The lack production of lipase can reduce the fat digestion process and it can lead to steatorroea. The symptoms are clay coloured stools, smell offensive and bloating. It also can cause weight loss due to less absorption of nutrient from food. The other symptoms are loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting and changes of bowel habits.
Dietitians can be a key member of multidisciplinary care team at the hospital. They will assess the food intake of patients and reduce the symptoms of the pancreatic cancer. In some cases, the enzyme supplements and nutritional supplements will be prescribed to make sure the patients will get enough nutrient and boost the calorie.
There are many risk factors of pancreatic cancer. Smokers are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than non-smokers. Smoking cessation can reduce the occurrence of the cancer. African-American are diagnosed more frequently than other races with pancreatic cancer. However, it does not mean that other races cannot get this type of cancer and the diverse ratio of diagnoses among ethnic groups in not yet clear. People with 50 years old and above have high risk to pancreatic cancer. Diabetic patients are tend to get pancreatic cancer. In terms of family history, about 10% of cases are thought to be related to inherited genetic mutations.
Pancreatic cancer can affect the digestion process in body. This is because of the imbalance production of enzymes produced by pancreas. Lipase is one of the enzyme that helps in breaking down fat in food. The lack production of lipase can reduce the fat digestion process and it can lead to steatorroea. The symptoms are clay coloured stools, smell offensive and bloating. It also can cause weight loss due to less absorption of nutrient from food. The other symptoms are loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting and changes of bowel habits.
Dietitians can be a key member of multidisciplinary care team at the hospital. They will assess the food intake of patients and reduce the symptoms of the pancreatic cancer. In some cases, the enzyme supplements and nutritional supplements will be prescribed to make sure the patients will get enough nutrient and boost the calorie.
Source
:
About.com
CANCER
American
Cancer Society
National
Cancer Council Malaysia
Pancreatic
Cancer UK
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