| ouncement of Patrick Swayze's cancer diagnosis | | | | other cancer sufferers, Swayze must have |
| in January 2008 followed by his demise on | | | | wondered why he developed this cancer. When it |
| September 15, 2009, only 20 months later, was | | | | comes to cancer, we just don't have enough |
| both tragic and a reminder that we have a long | | | | answers |
| way to go in cancer treatment. | | | | What would be the signs and symptoms? |
| Patrick Swayze was only 57 years old when he | | | | As previously mentioned, pancreatic cancer most |
| lost his struggle to cancer. His memorable roles in | | | | often grows and spreads without detection, in 50 |
| Ghost and Dirty Dancing made him one of | | | | percent of all sufferers the cancer has spread to |
| Hollywood's great. And while we may glamorize | | | | other organs by the time obvious symptoms |
| the life of the stars, we know that money cannot | | | | develop. The symptoms and signs which |
| buy health or even guarantee a cure to cancer. | | | | pancreatic cancer may cause depend on the size |
| Cancer | | | | and location of the cancer in the pancreas. |
| More than 11 million people are diagnosed with | | | | Jaundice. In a small number of people pancreatic |
| cancer every year and the numbers keep on | | | | cancer can present as yellowing of the skin and |
| growing. Cancer causes seven million deaths | | | | the whites of the eyes and darkening of the urine. |
| every year or 12.5 percent of deaths worldwide. | | | | Pain. Typically lower back pain which is only |
| It doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, young or old. | | | | relieved by heat or bending forward is a sign of |
| Every person on the planet is at risk of cancer. | | | | pancreatic cancer. The problem is that there are |
| Famous actors like Robert DeNiro, Diahann Carroll | | | | many other much more common causes of back |
| and Christina Applegate, singers like Sheryl Crow | | | | pain. |
| and Kylie Minogue have all suffered from cancer. | | | | Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss. |
| Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of | | | | Cancer puts the body into a 'breaking down' state. |
| cells that may affect almost any tissue of the | | | | Someone with cancer not only won't feel like |
| body. Lung, colorectal and stomach cancer affect | | | | eating, but will burn more kilojoules as their body |
| both men and women, while prostate cancer only | | | | focuses its resources on fighting the disease. |
| occurs in men and cervical cancer only occurs in | | | | Someone with cancer can lose up to several |
| women. Breast cancer more commonly affects | | | | kilograms a week. |
| women, but can also affect men. | | | | Nausea and vomiting. While it's not very specific, |
| Pancreatic Cancer | | | | someone with pancreatic cancer will frequently |
| Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in | | | | complain of feeling bilious, especially after eating |
| January 2008. This is cancer which originates from | | | | fatty meals. |
| the pancreas - a hormonal organ found tucked | | | | What are the chances of survival? |
| away behind the intestines in the abdomen. The | | | | Pancreatic cancer generally has a poor outlook. |
| 'hidden' location of the pancreas means that | | | | For those with advanced disease most will not |
| symptoms of cancer are often subtle. There is | | | | survive one year after diagnosis. For those with |
| also no screening test to check for pancreatic | | | | early disease which can be operated on, |
| cancer making it difficult to detect. | | | | one-in-four will still be alive after five years. |
| Pancreatic cancer is not the most common type | | | | Despite his late stage diagnosis and grim initial |
| of cancer but it is the fifth leading cause of | | | | reports, Swayze survived another 20 months |
| cancer death worldwide. For most people the | | | | after his diagnosis. Cancer experts would consider |
| diagnosis is only made very late in the course of | | | | this better than anyone can hope for. It makes us |
| the illness. Swayze already had stage IV | | | | all feel like we are living on borrowed time. |
| pancreatic cancer at the time of diagnosis. This | | | | What treatment is there? |
| means the cancer had already spread to other | | | | For about 20 percent of pancreatic cancer |
| organs in the body, in his case, the liver. | | | | patients the tumor is still located in the pancreas |
| In general, the larger a cancer is and the further it | | | | and can be removed. The surgery is technically |
| has spread at the time of diagnosis, the worse | | | | very tricky and highly specialized, taking on |
| the outlook for the sufferer is. Despite his | | | | average six to eight hours. Surgery offers the |
| advanced disease Patrick completed his work on | | | | best chance of survival for any sufferer. |
| his television show The Beast, conducted several | | | | Chemotherapy also forms a vital part of the |
| interviews and campaigned for cancer research | | | | treatment. For those with late disease, |
| during his final months. | | | | chemotherapy can slow down the rate of spread |
| What causes pancreatic cancer? | | | | of the cancer and give the person a few more |
| Nobody is certain as to what causes pancreatic | | | | months of life. In those with early disease, |
| cancer. Like so many other cancers most experts | | | | surgery is first done followed by chemotherapy |
| believe it is a combination of both your genetics | | | | to kill off cancer cells which may have |
| and lifestyle which triggers the disease. | | | | microscopically spread around the body. |
| We know the following factors will increase your | | | | Chemotherapy is sadly, not a perfect science. |
| risk of developing pancreatic cancer: | | | | While pharmaceutical companies pour billions of |
| Smoking cigarettes increases your chances of | | | | dollars into researching new cancer-fighting |
| developing many cancers, including pancreatic | | | | chemicals, there is no such thing as 'a cure for |
| cancer. | | | | cancer'. Not everyone or every tumor responds |
| Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) | | | | the same way to a chemotherapy drug. |
| over a number of years can increase your risk of | | | | Treatment, as with Patrick Swayze, may even |
| cancer. | | | | be experimental. The drugs are often toxic and |
| Male. Men are 1.3 times more likely to develop | | | | may have horrible side-effects. But they may also |
| pancreatic cancer than women. Age. The average | | | | work. Unless people are brave enough to try |
| age at which pancreatic cancer develops is 65. | | | | these treatments, we will never really progress in |
| This means, the older you get the higher your | | | | finding the treatments which work best. |
| risk of developing this cancer is. Diabetes. This | | | | Those who blame chemotherapy for Swayze's |
| medical condition has been linked to an increased | | | | death have lost sight of the fact that cancer kills |
| risk of pancreatic cancer in later life. Family risk. | | | | people, and that chemotherapy has saved many |
| Having a first-degree family member with | | | | lives. There is no treatment - alternative or |
| pancreatic cancer triples your risk of the disease. | | | | mainstream - which can guarantee success. But |
| While Swayze had his smoking habit and gender | | | | every person who has chemotherapy provides us |
| stacked up against him, he didn't have any of the | | | | with an answer that slowly navigates us towards |
| other risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Like all | | | | success. |