Shape Magazine Online
Thursday, 10/6/2011 at 12:01:29 PM
1. Pancreatic cancer is one of the few cancers for which survival has not improved substantially over nearly 40 years. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), not many advances have been made when it comes to pancreatic cancer. In fact, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. An estimated 44,030 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the U.S., and more than 37,660 will die from the disease.
2. Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. It's estimated by the ACS that 94 percent of pancreatic cancer patients will die within five years of diagnosis, and only 6 percent will survive more than five years. A total of 74 percent of patients die within the first year of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
3. Genetics plays a role. Like most diseases and cancers, a family history of pancreatic cancer is a risk factor.
4. Smoking, obesity and heavy drinking has been linked to pancreatic cancer. Lifestyle choices can affect your risk of getting pancreatic cancer. According to WebMD, the unhealthy practices of smoking, weighing too much and drinking heavily, all can increase your risk.
5. Pancreatic cancer can be hard to diagnosis early. Because pancreatic cancer may only cause vague symptoms — such as abdominal or back pain, weight loss, jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea, changes in stool and diabetes — many times pancreatic cancer is misdiagnosed as GI issues until the cancer has progressed.
Jennipher Walters is the CEO and co-founder of the healthy living websites FitBottomedGirls.com and FitBottomedMamas.com. A certified personal trainer, lifestyle and weight management coach and group exercise instructor, she also holds an MA in health journalism and regularly writes about all things fitness and wellness for various online publications.
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