The ＂king of cancer＂ is younger？ These four symptoms are warnings!
BEIJING, Beijing, October 28 (Xinhua) According to the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist of China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, died in Beijing at 12: 56 on October 27, 2023 at the age of 60. Many media reported that during the epidemic in 2021, Wu Zunyou was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and struggled with cancer for two years.
After the news was announced, netizens were also concerned about pancreatic cancer while deploring it. Pancreatic cancer is recognized as the "king of cancer" in the medical field because of its occult onset, low early diagnosis rate, rapid progress and poor prognosis.
Why is pancreatic cancer so dangerous? Who are susceptible to pancreatic cancer? How to prevent it?
Screenshot from official website, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Known as the "king of cancer"
Why is pancreatic cancer so dangerous?
According to public information, pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant digestive tract tumor and is called "the king of cancer". In recent 10 years, the incidence of pancreatic cancer in China has increased year by year, and the average survival time of patients is only 4 to 6 months. The vast majority of pancreatic cancer patients are in the middle and advanced stage when they are diagnosed. There is a significant difference in the five-year survival rate between patients with early pancreatic cancer and patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. In clinic, the proportion of newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients undergoing surgical resection is less than 20%, and the five-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer is only 8%.
Why is the survival rate of pancreatic cancer so low? Zhang Jun, an expert at the Pancreatic Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, once analyzed that there are two reasons for this: First, the pancreas is hidden in the retroperitoneum, and the early symptoms of pancreatic cancer are not obvious; Second, the natural course of pancreatic cancer is very fast. In other words, the window for early detection of pancreatic cancer is very short.
In recent years, the incidence of pancreatic cancer has shown an obvious upward trend at home and abroad. According to the statistics of China National Cancer Center in 2021, pancreatic cancer ranks seventh in the incidence of malignant tumors in men, 11th in women and 6th in the mortality related to malignant tumors.
Show a trend of rejuvenation
How to find it early?
In March of this year, Li Dewei, director of the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Cancer Center of the Cancer Hospital affiliated to Chongqing University, mentioned at the Third Yangtze River Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Forum that most of the patients currently in clinic are over 45 years old, but in the past two years, the number of patients around 40 years old has gradually increased, showing a younger trend.
"Difficult to find" is a major feature of pancreatic cancer. Li Dewei pointed out that early pancreatic cancer lacks specific symptoms and signs. When there are upper abdominal or back pain, nausea, indigestion, loss of appetite, abdominal distension, jaundice, sudden aggravation of new diabetes or original diabetes, obvious weight loss, and changes in stool characteristics, it is recommended to go to the hospital for further screening.
According to the "Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer (2022 Edition)" issued by National Health Commission, the etiology of pancreatic cancer is not completely clear at present, and epidemiological investigation shows that the incidence of pancreatic cancer is related to many risk factors. Long-term smoking, old age, high-fat diet, excessive body mass index, chronic pancreatitis or diabetes mellitus are possible non-hereditary risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Familial inheritance is a high risk factor for pancreatic cancer, and about 10% patients with pancreatic cancer have familial inheritance.
"The greater the amount of smoking, the higher the incidence of pancreatic cancer. At the same time, people who are addicted to alcohol, especially those with abnormal alcohol metabolism (blushing when drinking), should also be alert to the occurrence of pancreatic cancer. " Li Dewei reminded that occupational exposure, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cystic tumor and genetic factors can also increase the incidence of pancreatic cancer.
Therefore, it is necessary to develop a good lifestyle. Avoid the "three highs" diet, don’t smoke, keep exercising, avoid overeating and drinking, and have less contact with effective substances such as naphthylamine and aniline.
"Good at Camouflaging" Cancer
What symptoms need to be vigilant?
Pancreatic cancer progresses rapidly, but the onset is hidden, and the early symptoms are atypical. Most of the patients are in the middle and late stage at the time of clinical treatment. Therefore, early detection and early treatment are particularly important. The Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer (2022 Edition) introduces the main clinical manifestations of pancreatic cancer. You need to be vigilant when the following symptoms appear.
Abdominal discomfort or abdominal pain is a common first symptom. Most patients with pancreatic cancer only show upper abdominal discomfort or dull pain, dull pain and swelling pain. It is easily confused with the symptoms of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary diseases. If there is still pancreatic juice outlet obstruction, pain or discomfort may increase after eating. Invasion of celiac plexus by advanced tumor can lead to persistent severe abdominal pain.
The second is emaciation and fatigue. 80%~90% patients with pancreatic cancer have emaciation, fatigue and weight loss at the early stage of the disease, which is related to lack of appetite, anxiety and tumor consumption.
The third is gastrointestinal symptoms. When the tumor blocks the lower end of the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct, bile and pancreatic juice cannot enter the duodenum, and indigestion often occurs. Damage of pancreatic exocrine function may lead to diarrhea. Advanced pancreatic cancer invades the duodenum, which can lead to digestive tract obstruction or bleeding.
The fourth is jaundice. It is related to biliary tract outlet obstruction, which is the most important clinical manifestation of pancreatic head cancer, and may be accompanied by itchy skin, dark brown urine and clay-like stool.
In addition, some patients may be accompanied by persistent or intermittent low fever, and generally there is no biliary tract infection. Some patients may also have abnormal blood sugar.
Difficult treatment and poor prognosis.
How to break the game?
Another major feature of pancreatic cancer is "difficult to treat" and its prognosis is poor. It is understood that the main treatments for pancreatic cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, interventional therapy and the best supportive treatment.
Luo Xiaojun, deputy director of the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Cancer Center of the Cancer Hospital affiliated to Chongqing University, once said that surgical resection is the most effective treatment for pancreatic cancer, while laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery has the advantages of less trauma, less postoperative pain, and rapid recovery of patients. However, due to the important blood vessels such as superior mesenteric artery and portal vein in the head of the pancreas, and the need to remove part of the stomach, gallbladder, extrahepatic bile duct, all pancreatic head, duodenum and upper jejunum, Pancreatic and jejunum anastomosis, bile duct and jejunum anastomosis, stomach and jejunum anastomosis, jejunum and jejunum anastomosis and other procedures are performed, so the operation is difficult and time-consuming, and postoperative complications such as bleeding, pancreatic fistula and biliary fistula are easy to occur.
Although pancreatic cancer is so dangerous and difficult to treat, in recent years, scientists have been exploring new treatment strategies and made some new progress in diagnosis and treatment. "Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer (2022 Edition)" pointed out that in recent years, with the development of imaging, endoscopy, pathology and other disciplines, the diagnostic level of pancreatic cancer has improved; The development of new surgical concepts and technologies, local treatment methods and the application of anti-tumor drugs have brought opportunities and progress for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.