Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : February 14, 2023 11:56 AM IST
Silent killer, Pancreatic cancer is becoming a new threat to young women, a recent case study has warned. According to the statistics, the rates of pancreatic cancer have grown massively in the last few months, especially among the younger women community in the United States. In the study report which was conducted on a large-scale nationwide, the researchers from the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Institute in Los Angeles found that rates of pancreatic cancer among women under the age of 55 rose 2.4 per cent higher than rates among men of the same age.
India too is a home for pancreatic cancer patients. Every year, the country logs thousands of cases of this silent killer. But why are we calling it a silent killer in the first place? It is because this particular type of cancer comes without any significant signs or symptoms when it is in its initial stages. Which makes it even deadlier, and scary for the ones who are getting diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. It begins with the abnormal cell growth in the tissues of the pancreas -- an organ that lies behind the lower part of the stomach. The job of the pancreas is to release enzymes that can aid digestion and to produce hormones that can help manage the body's blood sugar levels.
Why the sudden surge in the numbers? "The main reason behind the surge of the cases associated with pancreatic cancer is due to the fact that it comes with zero symptoms in its initial stages," an expert told TheHealthSite.com.
As we discussed, pancreatic cancers are called the 'silent killers'. This is because it often doesn't cause symptoms until after it has spread to other organs. However, here is a list of all the symptoms that one should keep an eye on:
On the official website, the NHS has warned that women should remain cautioned about four warning signs associated with pancreatic cancer. These signs include weight loss, jaundice, lack of energy, and a high temperature. The experts have also cautioned that some patients who were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer also complained of experiencing signs and symptoms of acute indigestion. These include -- nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, pain in the upper part of the abdomen, and bloating (accompanied by continuous burping).
"That awareness might refocus people on the need to stop smoking, reduce alcohol use, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and manage their weight. This lifestyle changes all help decrease the risk of pancreatic cancer," said Srinivas Gaddam, associate director of Pancreatic Biliary Research at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of the study.
