Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis as the cancer is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage when surgery is no longer possible. And early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is very difficult because the first signs of cancer are nonspecific. Moreover, the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in Poland is not at the best level. Check the chances of survival for pancreatic cancer patients.

The prognosiswpancreatic cancer , which is among the top ten most common malignant neoplasms in Poland, is bad. All because the cancer is most often diagnosed at an advanced stage of development, i.e. when it has been inoperable for a long time, which practically does not give any chance of survival. In Poland, out of 7,000 people who develop pancreatic cancer annually, no more than 10 percent are treated. The rest, about 90 percent of patients, die, making pancreatic cancer one of the most common causes of cancer death.

Pancreatic cancer - why is it late diagnosed?

The symptoms of early pancreatic cancer are non-specific, making it difficult for a doctor to make an accurate diagnosis. Moreover, the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in Poland leaves much to be desired. There is centralization, certification and standardization of conduct all over the world, but not in our country. Therefore, each doctor diagnoses the patient according to his preferences. Only a few order ultrasound and computed tomography of the abdominal cavity (it allows to determine the size, location, and nature of the pancreatic lesions, as well as to determine the stage of the disease) - tests that can detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage of development, i.e. when it is still operable.

Pancreatic cancer - prognosis. Chances of survival in pancreatic cancer patients

The chances of survival (in all pancreatic cancer patients) are 1-3 percent.

Currently, the only chance to cure pancreatic cancer is to remove the tumor, but this type of surgery is only possible in the early stages of development, i.e. in about 20-30 percent of patients. Over the past decades, 5-year survival rates after tumor removal have increased, but are still low at only around 10-30percent with median survival reaching 15-20 months. Unfortunately, after surgery, the neoplastic process usually recurs, which in about 95 percent. cases takes place within 14-16 months from surgery, and the median time to recurrence is about 9-10 months (data source: Popiela T., Sierżęga M., Contemporary methods of combined treatment of pancreatic cancer, [in:] Oncology in Practice Kliniczna 2006, vol. 1, no. 4).

If the cancer is diagnosed late in its development, the average survival time from diagnosis is 6 months (and some sources even say that it is only 3 months). Palliative treatment (relieving the symptoms of the disease in terminally ill patients) only slightly extends the survival time.

Category:

Oncology