Pancreatic Cancer Will Overtake Breast Cancer as Europe’s Highest Killer in 2017

Highlights

Pancreatic cancer is a tumor of the pancreas, mostly involving in its exocrine region
Globally, pancreatic cancer is the 7th most common cause of cancer-related death
Pancreatic cancer is the 4th deadliest cancer in the Europe
It has the highest mortality rate of many other cancers in the Europe

Pancreatic cancer is the malignancy of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer grows without developing any signs of symptoms, and it is very often detected at the later stage of the disease. Exocrine pancreatic cancer and endocrine pancreatic cancer are the types of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis even diagnosed early.

Pancreatic cancer is the 4th deadliest cancer in the Europe and is set to become second largest cause of death in the year 2020. The mortality rate from pancreatic cancer will overtake breast cancer death rates in the Europe in 2017, finds a new study.

Pancreatic Cancer - All About the Disease, its Diagnosis and Management
Pancreatic cancer often involves its exocrine part. It grows aggressively, and often detected late. Treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

‘Pancreatic cancer, is the seventh most common cause of cancer death. The study shows that mortality rate of pancreatic cancer is increasing in the Europe in 2017.’

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Recent findings presented at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2016, convey that pancreatic cancer will become the third highest mortality rate after lung and colorectal cancer in the Europe. Pancreatic cancer death rates are increasing in many countries across the Europe, and it is determined that about 91,500 deaths will occur in 2017, compared with 91,000 from breast cancer.

Time-linear prediction models were used by the research team to calculate the mortality rates until 2025, where the deaths from pancreatic cancer (111, 500) across Europe were projected to have increased by almost 50 percent since 2010 (76,000). All the countries included in the study show change in pancreatic cancer mortality rates from 20% to a stumbling 131% increase over the 15-year period.

Despite being the third highest cause of cancer-related death, the prevalence rate of pancreatic cancer across Europe is relatively small when compared with colorectal, lung and breast cancer. This demonstrates a significantly reduced outlook for the patients diagnosed with the disease which, unlike many other types of cancer, has not changed in the last 40 years.

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The median five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer across Europe is 5 percent. About 98% of the people lose their healthy life expectancy during diagnosis. Despite these alarming statistics, 64% of Europeans have very little knowledge about pancreatic cancer, and currently, there is no feasible screening method.

The World Pancreatic Cancer Day will be observed on November 17. Health experts are calling for increased awareness of the disease to allow people to be diagnosed in time for life-saving surgery. Professor Matthias Löhr, UEG pancreatic cancer specialist, explains, "Pancreatic cancer survival rate is lower than any other cancer. Consequently, it is absolutely vital that patients receive a diagnosis as early as possible to allow for surgery, which is currently the only potential for a cure."

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"Members of the public as well as doctors are therefore advised to increase their knowledge of the signs for pancreatic cancer, which include new-onset diabetes, abdominal and back pain, a change in bowel habits and jaundice," adds Professor Löhr.

Quiz on Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage and can be fatal. Test your knowledge on pancreatic cancer by taking this quiz.

Source-Medindia