Pancreatic Cancer Research Paper
Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of the pancreas, the pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate sugars. Cancer begins to form when a cell in the pancreas begins to reproduce uncontrollably and crowds out normal cells.
The cause of pancreatic cancer is difficult to pinpoint because cancer is a mutation of the DNA, but can be partially explained by mutations inherited through parents and someone's exposure to carcinogens, cancer causing chemicals. Inherited genetic syndrome and even personal or family history of pancreatic cancer increases your risk of getting cancer. Carcinogen exposure through cigarette smoke is the most important risk factor for pancreatic cancer, but exposure in the workplace such …show more content…
Some examples of imaging testing would be computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), abdominal or endoscopic ultrasounds, cholangiopancreatography, angiography, and positron emission tomography (PET) scan. Blood diagnostic tests that measure carcinoembryonic antigens, like the CA 19-9, and pancreatic hormone levels such as glucose, insulin, and C-peptide are used to check blood levels and can help determine if there is a tumor present. Biopsy is the removing of a small section of tumor and looking at it under a microscope, the biopsy is then interpreted by a pathologist to determine whether the tumor is …show more content…
Surgery is ideal if the cancer is confined to the pancreas, if the tumor is located at the top of the pancreas then removal of the head of the pancreas should be considered. If the tumor is found in the body or tail of the pancreas a pancreatectomy, removal of the tail of the pancreas and possibly a small part of the body, should be looked into under these circumstances. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells, like X-Rays. Chemotherapy are cancer killing drugs that can be taken orally or injected into a vein; chemotherapy is ideal when the pancreatic cancer has metastasized. A few other treatments for pancreatic cancer include ablation, embolization, targeted therapy, and clinical
The cause of pancreatic cancer is difficult to pinpoint because cancer is a mutation of the DNA, but can be partially explained by mutations inherited through parents and someone's exposure to carcinogens, cancer causing chemicals. Inherited genetic syndrome and even personal or family history of pancreatic cancer increases your risk of getting cancer. Carcinogen exposure through cigarette smoke is the most important risk factor for pancreatic cancer, but exposure in the workplace such …show more content…
Some examples of imaging testing would be computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), abdominal or endoscopic ultrasounds, cholangiopancreatography, angiography, and positron emission tomography (PET) scan. Blood diagnostic tests that measure carcinoembryonic antigens, like the CA 19-9, and pancreatic hormone levels such as glucose, insulin, and C-peptide are used to check blood levels and can help determine if there is a tumor present. Biopsy is the removing of a small section of tumor and looking at it under a microscope, the biopsy is then interpreted by a pathologist to determine whether the tumor is …show more content…
Surgery is ideal if the cancer is confined to the pancreas, if the tumor is located at the top of the pancreas then removal of the head of the pancreas should be considered. If the tumor is found in the body or tail of the pancreas a pancreatectomy, removal of the tail of the pancreas and possibly a small part of the body, should be looked into under these circumstances. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells, like X-Rays. Chemotherapy are cancer killing drugs that can be taken orally or injected into a vein; chemotherapy is ideal when the pancreatic cancer has metastasized. A few other treatments for pancreatic cancer include ablation, embolization, targeted therapy, and clinical