[Fat Bear Science] Don’t be happy if you lose weight for no reason, it may be caused by “cancer king”

The pancreas is figuratively likened to a "hermit" because it is located deep in the abdominal cavity.

But don’t be fooled by its small size, once it becomes sick and cancerous, it will become the “king”.

Pancreatic cancer is a serious threat to people's lives because it is difficult to detect in the early stages, is highly malignant, has few surgical opportunities, and has a short survival period.

Today, Deng Hejun, Director of the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology of our hospital, will tell you,

Pancreatic cancer patients do not need to panic, and do not despair even if they lose the chance of surgery. There are some new discoveries in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, that is, the use of non-surgical comprehensive treatment methods may also achieve better results. For example, Mr. Liu, an 80-year-old man with high blood pressure and poor heart and lung function, has undergone comprehensive treatment such as radiotherapy. Now, three years later, the tumor has disappeared.

Experts of this issue

Deng Hejun

Deng Hejun: Director of the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, Chongqing Cancer Hospital/Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Chongqing University, Chief Physician, Master of Medicine, Leader of the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, Chief Expert of Liver Cancer, Chongqing Cancer Hospital, Member of the Chinese Chapter of the International Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Association, Member of the Pancreatic Cancer Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, Member of the Hepatobiliary Committee of the Chongqing Medical Association. He has been engaged in clinical work in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology for more than 30 years, and is good at laparoscopic and open surgery of the hepatobiliary, pancreatic and spleen, and has rich clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, bile duct cancer and gallbladder cancer. Clinic hours: Tuesday and Wednesday all day

The pancreas is like a "hermit", small in size but with a big mission

Three years ago, 81-year-old Mr. Liu went to the hospital for abdominal pain and yellow skin. The results showed that he had a 2-centimeter tumor in his pancreas. Because he suffered from high blood pressure and poor heart and lung function, the doctor did not recommend surgery. Finally, Director Deng suggested conservative treatment. Through external bile duct drainage and a course of radiotherapy, now three years later, the old man has not only disappeared his symptoms, but also the tumor has basically disappeared.

"The pancreas is really like a 'hermit', and its location is very hidden." Director Deng said that the pancreas is located deep in the left part of the upper abdomen of the human body, with the main part hidden behind the stomach, the tail extending to the spleen, and the liver above. In addition to the above organs, the pancreas is also close to important blood vessels such as the abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava, and superior mesenteric artery and vein.

Although the pancreas is small, weighing 65 to 75 grams and 14 to 18 centimeters long, it has a heavy task. It is the second largest digestive organ in the human body and undertakes extremely important tasks. For example, the protein, fat, and various sugars that people eat are digested and absorbed by the pancreatic juice secreted by the pancreas. At the same time, the insulin and glucagon secreted by the pancreatic islets can help the body maintain normal blood sugar levels. Therefore, once the pancreas becomes diseased or even cancerous, it will increase the difficulty of treatment.

Pancreatic cancer is the king, and 80% of patients are in the late stage

In my country, pancreatic cancer is known as the king of all cancers. 80% of pancreatic cancers are ductal adenocarcinomas, which are highly malignant and have a poor prognosis. Data show that the 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer in my country is low, only 5% to 20%. The incidence of pancreatic cancer is about 3 in 100,000. In recent years, the incidence of pancreatic cancer has been increasing year by year.

"This is mainly due to the low early diagnosis rate in our country. Most pancreatic cancer patients are discovered during physical examinations or accidentally discovered when hospitalized for other diseases or trauma. Moreover, 80% of pancreatic cancer patients are in the middle or late stages when they seek medical treatment. Most of them have extensive metastasis to the liver and abdominal cavity, and lose the opportunity for surgical treatment." Director Deng pointed out.

At the same time, due to the hidden location of the pancreas, early pancreatic cancer has no specific symptoms and is extremely difficult to detect. Director Deng said that pancreatic cancers less than 2 centimeters in diameter may not have any symptoms. A very small number of people will show non-specific symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, but most people will not pay attention to it and will think that it is because they did not rest well or were tired. Generally, only when the tumor diameter exceeds 3 centimeters may there be abdominal, back pain, poor appetite, diarrhea, indigestion and other symptoms.

If you have these five symptoms, you should check for pancreatic cancer

Director Deng reminds that when the following symptoms appear, you should go to the hospital in time to screen for pancreatic cancer.

1. Pain in the upper abdomen, lower back and back

This is the most common first symptom of pancreatic cancer. The abdominal pain of pancreatic cancer is deep in the middle and upper abdomen, often manifesting as a dull or piercing pain that continues to intensify. In the middle and late stages, the abdominal pain may radiate to the waist and back when it is severe.

2. Losing weight for no apparent reason

A common symptom of early pancreatic cancer is weight loss. People lose weight for no apparent reason, and sometimes their weight suddenly drops by more than 30 pounds. This is partly due to the consumption of the tumor, and partly due to eating less, and insufficient pancreatic secretion affects the digestion and absorption of food. If you don't have a plan to lose weight, but you suddenly lose too much weight, you must be aware that pancreatic cancer is coming.

3. Yellowing of eyes or skin

If pancreatic cancer occurs in the head of the pancreas, the skin and eyes may turn yellow, the stool may be clay-colored, the skin may itch, the serum bilirubin may increase significantly, but the transaminase may only increase slightly. At this time, you should highly suspect that it is obstructive jaundice caused by pancreatic cancer and do not treat it as hepatitis.

4. Diarrhea, bloating, indigestion

Excluding diseases of the liver, gallbladder, gastrointestinal tract, etc., pancreatic cancer patients are often accompanied by gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhea, bloating, nausea, etc. Some pancreatic cancers may also have steatorrhea, hyperglycemia, diabetes, and fatty diarrhea in the early stages. This is a diarrhea symptom in which fat is not digested but mixed with feces and excreted.

5. Unexplained blood sugar fluctuations

If the pancreas is diseased, there will be problems with the insulin and glucagon secreted by the pancreas, making it impossible for the body to maintain normal blood sugar levels.

Alcoholism and high blood lipids are risk factors for pancreatic cancer

So who is more likely to get pancreatic cancer? "The occurrence of pancreatic cancer is often related to age, alcoholism, high blood lipids, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, gallstones, and long-term exposure to chemicals containing petroleum ether." Director Deng pointed out that patients over 40 years old, with a family history of pancreatic cancer, and with chronic pancreatitis, especially chronic familial pancreatitis and chronic calcified pancreas, must be screened for pancreatic tumors as soon as possible.

Color B-ultrasound, CT, and MRI can detect pancreatic tumors larger than 0.5 cm. Therefore, if you are in a high-risk group, it is recommended that you regularly do color B-ultrasound, CT, or MRI under the guidance of a doctor according to your specific situation to screen for pancreatic cancer. At the same time, you should also pay attention to prevention in your daily life. For example, pay attention to the quality and quantity of your diet, avoid excessive intake of fat and sugar, do not smoke or drink, and maintain a good attitude towards life.

If surgery is not possible, comprehensive treatment is available. Don't be pessimistic and hopeless.

Director Deng said that if pancreatic cancer is unfortunately diagnosed, clinicians will consider the treatment method based on the size of the tumor, pathological stage, physical condition, etc. The general treatment principle for pancreatic cancer is comprehensive treatment with surgery as the main treatment.

The conditions that meet the surgical conditions are: tumors less than 3 cm; no invasion of surrounding blood vessels; no metastasis to organs outside the pancreas; no unresectable lymph node metastasis; the patient's liver, kidney, heart, lungs and other important organs function well and can tolerate surgery; normal coagulation function, then radical surgery can be performed. Then, pathological examination is performed based on the specimens removed during surgery to determine the next treatment method.

"If surgery is not possible, don't be pessimistic and despair." Director Deng said that in clinical practice, external radiotherapy through the abdominal wall, or short-distance radiotherapy with iodine-125 particle implantation, as well as interventional therapy, systemic chemotherapy, ablation therapy, nutritional support, pain relief therapy, traditional Chinese medicine therapy, molecular targeted therapy, etc. can be performed to effectively control tumors, improve the quality of life of cancer patients, and prolong survival.

"Because the five-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients after surgical resection in my country is relatively low, there have been certain new explorations and new trends in the treatment of pancreatic cancer in medicine in recent years, namely the use of non-surgical comprehensive treatment methods." Director Deng said that there are also certain clinical cases that show that the effect of comprehensive treatment such as radiotherapy and particle implantation without surgery in the same stage of the disease may achieve the effect of comprehensive treatment with surgery as the main treatment.

Text/ Fat Bear Picture/ Online Review/ Deng Hejun

Original article, please do not reprint without authorization

Chongqing Cancer Prevention and Treatment Science Popularization Base/Member of China Medical Self-media Alliance

Chongqing Science and Technology Commission Science Popularization Funding Project