Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

In pancreatic cancer – colloquially called pancreatic cancer – (synonyms: Pancreatic carcinoma; pancreatic head carcinoma; pancreatic cancer; pancreatic malignancy; pancreatoblastoma; cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas; ICD-10 C25.-: Malignant neoplasm of the pancreas) is a malignant neoplasm (malignant neoplasm) in the area of the pancreas (pancreas), which in more than two-thirds of cases is located in the head of the pancreas.

Pancreatic carcinoma represents the third most common malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract after colon (large intestine) and gastric carcinoma. It will soon be the third most common carcinoma in Europe and may move up to second place among causes of cancer death.

Histologically (by fine tissue), it is usually a ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). (> 95 %).

Approximately 70% of all pancreatic carcinomas are located in the pancreatic head, 20% in the pancreatic corpus, and 10% in the pancreatic tail.

Sex ratio: balanced

Peak incidence: the maximum incidence of pancreatic cancer is between the 6th and 8th decade of life. The median age of onset in men is 70 years and in women 76 years.

The prevalence (disease incidence) is higher within the black population than in the white population. Urban residents contract the disease more often than rural residents.

The incidence (frequency of new cases) is about 5-10 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year (in Germany). Together with Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland have the highest incidence rates.

Course and prognosis: Since pancreatic carcinoma causes virtually no symptoms in its early stages, it is usually discovered late, at an already advanced stage. Typical of pancreatic carcinoma is aggressive growth and early metastasis (formation of daughter tumors). It can be radically resected (surgically removed) in only about 15% of cases. Pancreatic cancer is often recurrent (recurring). Mortality (the number of deaths in a given period of time, relative to the number of the population in question) is very high, and is approximately equal to the number of new cases per year.

The 5-year survival rate depends on the carcinoma location: pancreatic head carcinoma becomes symptomatic early due to its anatomical proximity to the bile duct. Therefore, the 5-year survival rate is approximately 75% after complete resection. If the carcinoma is localized in the corpus (“body”) and cauda (“tail”), it is 15% after R0 resection (removal of the tumor in healthy tissue; histopathology shows no tumor tissue in the resection margin). Regardless of carcinoma location, the 5-year survival rate is eight percent in men and seven percent in women. This is the lowest survival rate of all cancers in Germany.Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma can breathe a sigh of relief five to six years after diagnosis; the cancer-related mortality rate (death rate) falls below 10% per year, and after nine years it is even more likely to die from causes other than pancreatic cancer.