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Written by Courteney
Posted on November 9, 2016 at 8:19 am
While some forms of cancer have early symptoms, pancreatic cancer is a silent killer that will claim an estimated 41,780 American lives in 2016 alone. So, what is known about this under-discussed form of cancer? Who is at risk, and can it be prevented? Let’s try to tackle some of these questions:
While it is true that pancreatic cancer can strike anyone, with or without risk factors, not everyone falls into the category of those who should undergo the in-depth screening process for pancreatic cancer. At risk individuals should most certainly be screened by a medical professional, as most times pancreatic cancer won’t cause any symptoms until the disease has advanced to the later, and less treatable stages.
Yes. Particularly those over 50 with new-onset diabetes. According to University of Chicago Medicine, approximately 85% of those who develop pancreatic cancer have new-onset diabetes or hyperglycemia. These people have a 5-8 times the risk of developing pancreatic cancer within 3 years of their diabetes or hyperglycemia diagnosis.
Aside from those with new-onset diabetics, people who fall into the ‘at risk’ category for developing pancreatic cancer include:
People who are over 50 years of age with any of the above-listed risk factors are at higher risk than those under 50 (90% of pancreatic cases occur in people older than 55), and more men go on to develop this form of cancer than women.
According to the American Cancer Society, people with the following genetic syndromes may be at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer:
That’s all for our look at the risk factors of pancreatic cancer. Stay tuned next for pancreatic cancer prevention tips. Thanks for visiting DocChat!