Pancreatic (Exocrine) Cancer Field of Research

Pancreatic Carcinoma is cancer of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the tissues of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer is also called Exocrine Cancer. A tumor or cancer in the pancreas may often grow without any symptoms at first. This may mean pancreatic cancer is more advanced when it is first found. Each year in the United States, about 42470 individuals are diagnosed with this condition.

Pancreatic Cancer Research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate and compare applications of the various cancer treatment. These applications include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy, and combined treatment modalities such as chemo-radiotherapy. Starting in the mid-1990s, the emphasis in clinical cancer research shifted towards therapies derived from biotechnology research, such as immunotherapy and gene therapy.

While there has been most welcome steady progress with the diagnosis and treatment of several other forms of cancer, for pancreatic cancer the five-year survival rate in this country following diagnosis forty years ago stood at around 3%. Today that rate is virtually unchanged and for many sufferers the survival time from diagnosis of the cancer is very short and complete remission is extremely rare. While pancreatic cancer is the eleventh most common cancer it is the fourth most common cause of death from cancer. Pancreatic cancer causes few obvious symptoms early on and detection is therefore usually at a late stage in the progression of the illness. The median survival rate from diagnosis is just 3 - 6 months with only 15% surviving for a year. Affecting men and women more or less equally, pancreatic cancer has one of the highest fatality rates of all cancers - 97% over five years as we have seen. Yet the disease can be tackled on those occasions where the cancer, for one reason or another, happens to be detected early enough. Pancreatic cancer should be ranked higher in the list of national priorities.

Pancreatic Cancer Treatment - WebMD

General information about pancreatic cancer, the formation of malignant cancer cells in the pancreas. Features causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnostic tests, and ...

Pancreatic Cancer Home Page - National Cancer Institute

Includes cancer literature, causes, symptoms, preventive measures, as well as treatments ... Definition of pancreatic cancer: A disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are ...

Pancreatic Cancer - MayoClinic

Comprehensive overview of symptoms, causes, risk factors, treatments, prevention, and ways of coping with the cancer of the pancreas.

Pancreatic Cancer (Cancer of the Pancreas) - MedicineNet

Learn about pancreatic cancer signs, symptoms, causes, statistics, as well as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical treatments of malignant tumors of the pancreas.

Pancreatic Cancer Treatment - National Cancer Institute

Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatica.org - Confronting Pancreatic Cancer

Resources for patients and physicians, including extensive database of clinical trials, news, and further information. From the Lorenzen Cancer Foundation

Pancreatic Cancer Overview - Pancreatic Cancer - Oncology Channel

Pancreatic Cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death, the risk of contracting this cancer increases for a number of reasons.

Johns Hopkins Pancreas Cancer Web

Describes the clinical and research efforts at Johns Hopkins and The National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry, and contains a chat room for patients.

Pancreatic Cancer - MedlinePlus

Information resources including overview, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, nutrition, and disease management of the cancer of the pancreas.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)

Works to focus national attention on the need to find the cure for pancreatic cancer.

Source: