Cancer is a fatal disease in which a rapid and abnormal growth of cells is seen. Pancreatic cancer is the cancer that affects the pancreas of an individual. The pancreas is an organ that is six inches long and is located behind the stomach. When an uncontrolled growth of cells is seen in the pancreas, we know that it is affected with cancer.
What basically happens is that, instead of growing into ‘normal’ tissues of the pancreas, these uncharacteristic cells continue to divide and start clumping together forming lumps, or clusters of tissues called tumors. These tumors obstruct or hinder the functions of the pancreas. If these tumors stay in one place and do not grow, then these are considered to be benign. If they show activity of growth in size, they are considered to be malignant.
When cancer cells travel to other parts of the body through the lymph system or blood stream, the malignant tumors become increasingly dangerous. When metastasis occurs, the condition becomes extremely critical. Metastasis is the process when a malignant tumor is successful in spreading to various parts of the body, growing in size and destroying various healthy tissues in the body.
Detecting pancreatic cancer is extremely difficult and it is often diagnosed in a later stage when treatment becomes very difficult. A pancreatic cancer foundation helps save patients affected by this lethal disease by administering the right kind of treatment and medicines for cancer patients. Cancer foundations also treat patients by providing identification tools that are sensitive and can detect the disease faster. They provide cost effective treatments for pancreatic cancer patients. Most of the cancer foundations have a pancreatic cancer charity, where people donate money on a regular basis or as a onetime gift. The donation money is used to better equip the foundation so that future treatments are discovered to fight this disease.
Most of these cancer foundations have one goal, to increase the rate of survivors and to help patients beat the odds by helping them with cost effective treatment. These foundations provide medical practitioners with sensitive tools that help in the early detection of the disease. Also, some of these cancer foundations promote awareness of neuroendocrine and adenocarcinoma pancreatic cancer.
In the last 50 years, the prognosis of the disease has not improved. After diagnosis, patients survive for not more than three to six months. Pancreatic cancer treatment is difficult because, the symptoms of the disease start to show only after the cancer has reached a highly advanced stage. Also, the patient is given only a few options of treatment.
HOLLIE WILLIAMS
