Pancreatic Cancer: Quiet Symptoms Deadly

Doctors and pancreatic cancer survivors in the Twin Cities are hoping the recent awareness will help in their quest for better early detection.

With pancreatic cancer, the symptoms are so vague. Some signs could be pain, pain in your belly and perhaps a loss of appetite. All the experts agree that if caught early, a patient's survival rate increases. But without detection test, that is extremely challenging.

Bill Coleman, who will turn 72 next month, was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer eight years ago. He was able to beat all odds.

According to statistics compiled by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 95 percent of patients will die within five years of diagnosis, with 76 percent of patients dying within the first year.

Dr. Timothy Sielaff of Virginia Piper Cancer Institute says, "pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult diseases we deal with.”

The death of actor Patrick Swayze has put the disease in the spotlight.

It is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the country and there is currently no early detection test available. The pancreas is tucked into the abdomen. There is a lot of space for a tumor to grow without a person feeling any symptoms.

Pancreatic Cancer Fact Sheet
http://media2.myfoxtwincities.com/docs/pancreaticcancerfacts.pdf