Weight Control, Exercising, and Measures to Prevent Pancreatic Cancer

“Weight control and exercise may protect pancreatic cancer” reported by the studies of cancer of the pancreas by ‘Johns Hopkins Health Alerts’.Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect is the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths in United States. Five years after the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer only 4% of people are still alive.

Risk Factors of Pancreatic Cancer

Only Known risk factor was cigarette smoking and it is controllable. Lifestyle changes proved to reduce the risks of heart attack, diabetes and breast, colon, prostrate and rectum cancers may also prevent pancreatic cancer according to recent research. These measures are important for the people with a family history of pancreatic cancer.

Factors for developing pancreatic cancer are:

•  Smoking causes 2-3 fold increase in developing pancreatic cancer.
•  More than 80% of the patients are of the age 60-80.
•  Race is also a factor because this cancer is more common in blacks than in whites.
•  Pancreatic cancers are more in men.
•  The risk of having pancreatic cancer increases 18 fold, if there is a family history.
•  Pancreatic cancers are associated with chronic pancreatitis, diabetes and cirrhosis of liver and also with diet high in meats and fried foods.

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

Until the tumor obstructs the bile ducts leading to jaundice or the growth of the tumor cause abdominal pressure or pain, the symptoms of pancreatic cancer does not appear. Back pain, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss and weakness are the other symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

Tumors cannot be felt upon examination because the pancreas located deep in the abdomen. Detection of pancreatic cancer at the early stages is not possible as there are lacks of screening tests. It can be detected only after symptoms developed and the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Seldom, early diagnosis is possible if the tumor develops near the bile duct causes jaundice. Until the cancer spread beyond the pancreas, 90% of the pancreatic cancers are not diagnosed. Taking steps to prevent pancreatic cancer is critical, even if the tumors can be removed by the surgery and the diagnosis is not good.

Causes of Pancreatic Cancer

Physical factors and lifestyle factors may influence the development of pancreatic cancer, according to the recent research that examines the two large population studies.

Modify the Risk Factors

Excess weight and physical inactivity are two new modifiable factors. Seventy two percent of the obese people are likely to develop pancreatic cancer when compared to the leaner population.

Pancreatic cancer risk can be reduced to 50% with a moderate exercise. But these studies are retrospective and population based. So these studies cannot prove a cause and effect relationship. The studies suggest that weight control and exercise may protect from other deadly diseases also.