This book describes Pancreatic Cancer, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

No one wants cancer or his body cell to becomes mutant

But when the body mutates and become malignant

There is nothing much that the patient can do about it

All the patient does is hope the cancer cells can be removed by surgery

The other treatments in the past is radiation or chemotherapy

Now there are stem cells, hormone treatment and immunotherapy

Targeted therapy is focused directly on a particular cluster of cancer cells

The exact location where the cancer cells dwell

Avoid smoking if possible; cigarette smoke has 40 types of carcinogens

Avoid alcohol which can cause cancer of mouth, esophagus and liver conditions

Avoid chemicals like asbestos, alphatoxins from nuts and silica

Avoid sun rays, radiation from phones, viral infections and trauma

-An original poem by Kenneth Kee

"A 70 year patient of mine had chronic gastric pains for many years which improved with medications.

I have always advised him to see a specialist for a gastroscopy.

Eventually he went to see a gastroenterologist and the gastroscopy did show the presence of gastric ulcers and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

With treatment of the gastric ulcer and bacteria, further gastroscopy showed that the stomach was clear of ulcers and bacteria.

However the pain persisted.

So he went to see all the specialists in Singapore, America, Europe and United Kingdom.

All the tests did not show any serious illness.

As the pain became worse, a MRI of the pancreas finally confirmed the presence of Cancer of the Pancreas.

By that time the cancer had spread to the liver and other parts of the body.

Treatment was only palliative.

Although a multimillionaire all his money could not get him a recovery and he finally succumbed to his illness.

Another patient had been treated by me for gastritis and indigestion for 25 years.

Again gastroscopy showed evidence of gastric ulcers which was then treated by a hospital specialist.

There was no involvement of the pancreas with all the blood tests and ultrasound being normal.

A few years ago due to his sudden loss of weight and increased abdominal pain, a PET scan and MRI scan were able to detect a growth in the pancreas.

A biopsy of the growth finally confirmed the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer .

He also died shortly after the diagnosis was confirmed in spite of treatment.

Cancer of the Pancreas is one of the most difficult cancers to detect and cure

Another example is the late Steve Jobs who also died of pancreatic cancer."

Pancreatic Cancer is a malignant disease of the exocrine pancreas in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the pancreas.

90% are adenocarcinomas.

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose early due to its site behind stomach, intestines, liver

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer are jaundice 70%, pain 75%, and weight loss 90%.

Tests that examine the pancreas are employed to diagnose and stage pancreatic cancer:

Blood lipase and amylase (pancreas enzymes)

CA 19.9 and CEA (tumor markers)

Multidetector CT (best imaging to evaluate the extent of disease)

Surgery is still the best treatment for pancreatic cancer, followed by chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy and new methods such as tumor vaccines. immunotherapy, genetic therapy.

Palliative treatment for pain, diet, nutrition, bypass surgery are important.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

Chapter 1 Pancreatic Cancer

Chapter 2 Causes

Chapter 3 Symptoms

Chapter 4 Diagnosis

Chapter 5 Treatment

Chapter 6 Prognosis

Chapter 7 Pancreatitis

Chapter 8 Cancer of Liver

Epilogue