Sunny Health

Pancreatic cancer is by no means a rare disease or a recent discovery, but it had been a lesser known evil compared to other more well-known cancers like breast cancer and lung cancer, until recently when it claimed the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. More people have since been wondering about pancreatic cancer.

What is the Pancreas?

The pancreas is a gland, surrounded by the stomach, small intestine, liver, spleen and gallbladder. It is portrayed by the organ coloured yellow in the above illustration. The pancrease produces enzymes that help with digestion, as well as hormones.

What is Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is a disease characterised by out-of-control cell growth, which begins in the pancreas. Rather than developing into healthy and normal pancreas tissue, these abnormal cells continue dividing and form lumps of tissue called tumour. Tumours interfere with the main functions of the pancreas. If a tumour stays in one particular spot and demonstrates limited growth, it is generally considered benign and harmless.

It is more dangerous when tumours from the cancer cells spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph systems. When a tumour successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, they are invading and destroying other healthy tissues. The result is a more serious condition that is very difficult to treat.

Risk Factors

There are no specific reasons as to why people get pancreatic cancer. However, researchers have identified some potential risk factors.
• Higher occurrence in men than in women
• Smoking cigarettes and smokeless tobacco
• Alcohol consumption. Long term, heavy drinking leads to chronic pancreatitis, which is a known risk factor.
• Obesity
• Lack of exercise
• Diet low in vegetables and fruits but high in red meat

Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

The symptoms are quite varied and dependent on where the cancer is located, where it has spread and how big the tumour is. Pancreatic cancer is a “silent” disease because it rarely shows early symptoms. Tumours of the pancreas cancers are usually too small to cause any symptoms. However, when the cancer grows, symptoms include:
• Pain in the upper abdomen from the tumour pushing against nerves.
• A painless yellowing of the skin and eyes, darkening of the urine called “jaundice” (created when the cancer interferes with the bile duct and the liver).
• Loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
• Significant weight loss and weakness.

These symptoms are not exactly unique to pancreatic cancer. Hence, it is difficult to diagnose the disease before it is in an advanced stage. If the cancer spreads, additional symptoms can present themselves in the newly affected area. Symptoms ultimately depend on the location to which the cancer has spread.

Therefore, it is best to go for a body checkup annually. Have a balanced diet, eat more vegetables and fruits, and avoid unhealthy habits like smoking and heavy alcohol assumption that can have negative repercussions on your body!

Today is Steve Jobs Day. As we mourn the great man who invented many gadgets that improved our lives, let us not forget his advice:

“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”

Cancer is one of those diseases that can be a real mystery, akin to a brick that falls out of nowhere and strikes. Although it is mostly associated with people who lead unhealthy lifestyles and have unhealthy diets, perfectly healthy people fall prey to cancer with absolutely no inkling on why it happened to them. The number of young cancer patients has also been increasing, with some barely out of their teens. In fact, the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) is organizing a Rays of Hope Charity Concert to raise funds for young cancer patients.

Life is unpredictable. If you fall sick, you can’t turn back time and change that fact, no matter how much you question it. The best way would be to harbour faith and deal with it positively. Something good could come out of it, like remission for example.

Shock is often the first reaction when a doctor pronounces that you have cancer. You may not believe what is happening, and interrogate the doctor with the same questions repeatedly. Your brain just can’t take in any information.

Shock usually leads to denial. Some may choose to cope with their situation by pretending that it’s not happening. You may find that you don’t want to know anything about your cancer or treatment, or prefer to talk about it as little as possible or not at all. Because by accepting that you need treatment, the fear of not being able to lead a normal life, or death, becomes real.

While shock and denial are completely natural reactions, they are helpful and even harmful, possibly causing delay to your remission process. You must come to terms with your illness, and then speak with your doctor on all available options, be it remission process, or ways to improve end-of-life journeys for those with terminal-stage cancer. Death is everyone's destiny. Why not approach it with joy and contentment, instead of sorrow and remorse? If you mop around and fall into depression, your loved ones will be even more upset. For their sakes, you must pull yourself together.

Here are ways to instil some optimism in your life:

Share your fears. The more people to share your burden, the lighter the burden becomes. Join a cancer support group, where you can share experiences with and get support from fellow cancer patients and cancer survivors. Your hospital may have one, or at least a helpline for cancer patients who need to talk to someone. 

Seek financial support if you need it. Worried about the cost of your treatments? Don’t feel embarrassed to approach your hospital staff to inquire about relevant welfare schemes and financial assistant programmes. Your cancer support group can also give you advice on seeking assistance from community welfare schemes.

Have someone accompany you to appointments. They serve as a pillar for emotional support, and they can also be your extra pair of ears, helping you to note down important things that the doctor says. They may also help you with making decisions.

Find a venue to express your thoughts and vent your emotions. Sometimes, listening ears are not always available. You may also have some pent-up frustration, which you would not want to vent on your loved ones and caregivers. You can consider keeping a journal. Writing down your feelings helps you better understand them. It can also be a great way to release stress. Many cancer patients even go one step further by publishing their thoughts and experiences online. This is a meaningful thing to do as you are being a source of inspiration and resource to others. You may even get to make friends with people from other parts of the world!

Eat well. As a cancer patient, your diet may have plenty of restrictions. If you have to undergo chemotherapy, your appetite becomes poorer, and you may feel nauseous. However, you need to eat well, or you will not have the strength to do the things you want to do, or there may be repercussions after remission. "Sharing Plates" is a locally produced book that not only contains inspirational stories about cancer patients, but also recipies written by the cancer patients' families.

Do your favourite things to relax. Keep yourself entertained to avoid your mind from wandering. Listening to music, reading a book, watching dvds of your favourite movies, knitting, origami, playing computer games are just some of the entertaining activities that do not require much energy on your part.

Make a list of things you want to do when you get well. They can range from simple wishes like eating a bar of chocolate to more complex ones like enjoying a boat ride down a street in Venice. It will give you a sense of purpose. Some cancer patients find that they are suddenly at a loss for what to do after remission, when they have no more treatments and appointments to go to. Reflecting on a hopeful future will make you feel optimistic, as well as fill your void as you try to get life back to normal.

Spend more time with your loved ones. Enjoying each others company will lift your spirits as well as theirs. Even a simple activity like watching television together helps.

Last but not least, take it easy and enjoy every moment. Life is always a learning process. Whether you are learning something tangible, or something intangible, such as learning to have courage, you are doing something productive. Your life is not a burden, and never should be.