The pancreas is a very important organ related to food and energy metabolism, producing the enzymes necessary for the digestive system and the hormones necessary to regulate blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer is a dangerous type of cancer because it causes problems in many important mechanisms in the body and is aggressive. During the stages of pancreatic cancer, there are usually no symptoms in the 1st and 2nd stages, but since the symptoms are noticed in the 3rd and 4th stages, it is life-threatening. Pancreatic cancer symptoms may include loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, and the unexpected onset of diabetes. There are many genetic or environmental risk factors in the development of pancreatic cancer.
What can non-genetic and suddenly developing diabetes be a symptom of?
The majority of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (about ¾) have glucose metabolism disorders or type 2 diabetes. There is a bidirectional relationship between type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer. In other words, pancreatic cancer can be seen at a rate of ¼ in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. For this reason, diabetes is among the top risk factors for pancreatic cancer. In type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced from the beta cells of the pancreas, but blood sugar cannot be lowered because insulin resistance occurs in the tissues. In this case, although the pancreas tries to produce more insulin to lower blood sugar, it does not help. The effort of the pancreas to produce insulin and its exposure to high insulin levels are seen as the main reason for the formation of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, it is recommended that people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, especially at older ages, suspect a pancreatic tumor and undergo pancreatic imaging.
Do problems in fat metabolism affect the development of pancreatic cancer?
The most important risk factors for pancreatic cancer include obesity and high body fat. Every 5-value increase in body mass index, which is calculated according to the weight-to-height ratio, increases the risk of pancreatic cancer by 10%. For this reason, one of the risks that people who are overweight and have high cholesterol (Hypercholesterolemia) should consider is pancreatic cancer.
Is pancreatic cancer a common cancer? Why is it among the important cancers?
The reason why pancreatic cancer is a well-known cancer, although it is not among the common cancers, is that it is aggressive and life-threatening when detected in late stages. It is thought that pancreatic cancer, which has a high risk of death, will rank second among cancer-related deaths in the coming years. Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose because it usually does not cause symptoms in the early stages. The earlier it is diagnosed, the higher the success rate of pancreatic cancer treatment.
What are the factors that increase the risk of pancreatic cancer?
One of the most important factors that increase the risk of pancreatic cancer is using or being in an environment where tobacco products such as cigarettes, pipes and cigars are used. Tobacco use increases the risk of pancreatic cancer by as much as 70%. Other factors that significantly increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer include high cholesterol, obesity, excessive alcohol use, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis and certain types of infections.
Which gene is associated with pancreatic cancer? What is the share of genetic predisposition in pancreatic cancer?
It has been determined that only 5% of pancreatic cancer cases are of genetic origin. But if 3 or more people in the family or blood relatives have pancreatic cancer, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases 57 times. Although only a single pancreatic cancer gene could not be identified as a result of genetic studies, BRCA 1, BRCA2 and 6174delT mutations were found to be effective on pancreatic cancer. As a result of this situation, pancreatic cancer is common in Africans, Americans and Ashkenazi Jews. It is also known that genetically inherited diseases such as hereditary pancreatitis, hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, hereditary breast-ovarian cancer, familial multiple molar melanoma syndrome, Ataxia-telangiectasia, Fanconi anemia, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and cystic fibrosis increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
What foods increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer?
Consuming foods high in fat, especially a diet high in saturated fats, increases the risk of pancreatic cancer as it increases cholesterol. Processed meat products such as sausage, salami, soudjouk and red meat are also foods that increase the risk. Especially when grilled and burned, it increases the risk of pancreatic cancer, as in all cancers. There is no clear data on whether foods with high sugar content, which generally increase the risk of cancer and are thought to cause cancer progression because they feed cancer cells, increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Another product for which there is no clear data that it increases the risk of cancer is soda. Although there is a connection between soda and pancreatic cancer, it is not known whether this is because it increases cancer or because it is used to relieve stomach disorders that are symptoms of cancer. For this reason, it is recommended that seemingly simple complaints such as stomach problems should not be ignored and should be examined by a doctor.
Recommended coffee consumption to protect against pancreatic cancer
Consumption of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee reduces the occurrence of pancreatic cancer by approximately half. Since coffee consumption protects heart health and also protects against the risk of pancreatic cancer, it is recommended to consume 1 cup of Turkish coffee a day.
How can we protect ourselves from pancreatic cancer?
Since the majority of pancreatic cancer risk factors are environmental factors, pancreatic cancer can be protected by taking precautions.
Stay away from tobacco and its products
- Don’t smoke, if you do, try to quit, get support if necessary.
- Do not use smokeless cigarettes or electronic cigarettes either.
- Since passive smoking is as harmful as smoking, do not be in environments where smoking is present.
Pay attention to your eating habits
- Have the ideal weight for your height, and if you are overweight, try to lose it.
- Burn calories by exercising regularly and reduce the amount of calories you consume daily.
- Pay attention to a healthy diet and consume fresh vegetables and fruits every day.
- Reduce consumption of simple sugar and saturated fat.
- Stay away from processed meat products and reduce red meat and focus on white meat.
Regulate environmental factors
- Minimize chemical exposure in all areas and follow safety precautions.
If you are in the risk group or have a possible precursor lesion in the pancreas, do not skip the checks.
- former smokers
- diabetic patients
- Those who lose excess weight quickly without any reason
- Those with pancreas or biliary tract pathology
