Concept and Etiology:
Pancreatic cancer is due to an overgrowth of cells in the pancreas
that causes a malignant tumor. It affects the gastrointestinal system
because it hinders the production of digestive enzymes as well as the
production of insulin. This deviates from the definition of health
because the body is no longer able to complete functions to sustain
itself.
Classification:
“The staging system used most often for pancreatic cancer is the
AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) TNM system, which is
based on 3 key pieces of information:
1. The extent of the tumor (T): How large is the tumor and has it
grown outside the pancreas into nearby blood vessels?
2. The spread to nearby lymph nodes (N): Has the cancer spread to
nearby lymph nodes? If so, how many of the lymph nodes have
cancer?
3. The spread (metastasized) to distant sites (M): Has the cancer
spread to distant lymph nodes or distant organs such as the liver,
peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), lungs or bones?
Numbers or letters after T, N, and M provide more details about each
of these factors. Higher numbers mean the cancer is more advanced.
Once a person’s T, N, and M categories have been determined, this
information is combined in a process called stage grouping to assign
an overall stage.” (American Cancer Association, 2017).
Clinical Manifestations:
“Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer often don't occur until the
disease is advanced. They may include:
Abdominal pain that radiates to your back
Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss
Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
Light-colored stools
Dark-colored urine
Itchy skin
New diagnosis of diabetes or existing diabetes that's becoming more
difficult to control
Blood clots
Fatigue” (Mayo Clinic, 2021).
Diagnostic Tests:
The most common diagnostic procedures are imaging studies such as
CT, MRI and PET scans. Endoscopies are also common in which they
would also take a biopsy of the tumor to see if it was benign or
malignant. There would also be bloodwork involved in a diagnosis as
well.
References:
American Cancer Association. (2017, December 18). Pancreatic
Cancer Stages. Retrieved December 9, 2021,
from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/detection-
diagnosis-staging/staging.html
Mayo Clinic. (2021, June 6). Pancreatic cancer - Symptoms and
causes. Retrieved December 9, 2021,
from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pancreatic-
cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20355421
