Pancreatic cancer awareness

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most challenging cancers to detect and treat. It is the seventh leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10% — largely because it is rarely detected at an early, operable stage. Awareness, early detection, and understanding of genetic risk are critical.

What Is Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of the pancreas — an organ in the abdomen that lies behind the lower part of the stomach. The pancreas plays an essential role in digestion and in regulating blood sugar. The most common type of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which accounts for about 90% of cases.

Why Is It So Hard to Detect?

Pancreatic cancer is often called a “silent” disease because it rarely causes symptoms in its early stages. By the time symptoms appear — such as jaundice, abdominal pain, weight loss, or new-onset diabetes — the cancer has often already spread beyond the pancreas.

Risk Factors

• Family history — approximately 10% of pancreatic cancers are hereditary. Having two or more first-degree relatives with pancreatic cancer significantly increases your risk

• Genetic mutations — inherited mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, ATM, MLH1, MSH2 (Lynch Syndrome), and CDKN2A are associated with elevated pancreatic cancer risk

• Smoking — smokers are 2–3 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than non-smokers

• Diabetes — long-standing Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk

• Obesity and diet — a high-fat, high-calorie diet and obesity are associated with increased risk

• Chronic pancreatitis — long-term inflammation of the pancreas increases risk

The Role of Genetic Testing

For individuals with a family history of pancreatic cancer or known hereditary cancer syndromes, genetic testing can identify inherited mutations that increase risk. This allows for enhanced surveillance protocols — including endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and MRI — that can detect pancreatic cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.