REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — A new study finds the number of cases pancreatic cancer increased in young women. Disease rates in women under the age of 55 are 2.4 percent higher than in men in the same age group.
Research published in the journal Gastroenterology it analyzed data covering about 65 percent of the United States (US) population. To be precise, a total of 454,611 patients were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer between 2001 and 2018.
“There was a large separation of incidence trends between women and men aged 15-34 between 2001-2018 and showed no decline,” the researchers said. The death rate for this disease is quite high, with a five-year survival chance of only 11 percent.
Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the pancreas, an organ that sits behind the stomach and is shaped like a fish with a broad head, a tapered body, and a narrow, tapered tail. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), pancreatic cancer occurs when cells in the pancreas start to grow out of control.
This disease can form from two types of pancreatic cells: exocrine cells (which produce enzymes that help digest food) and neuroendocrine cells (which make insulin to help regulate blood sugar). Pancreatic cancer in exocrine cells is more common and is usually found at an advanced stage.
Unfortunately, the studies only looked at the increase, not specifically exploring the reasons pancreatic cancer cases increasing among young women. However, there are several theories that have developed among health experts.
Apart from being highlighted in this study, doctors have indeed noticed an increase in cases pancreatic cancer in women younger than before. A medical oncologist at the Moffitt Cancer Center, Dae Won Kim, mentioned several risk factors for pancreatic cancer, namely smoking, pancreatitis, obesity, and genetic-related risk factors.
“There may be several factors associated with the study findings, including increased alcohol consumption in women, increased initiation of smoking in early adulthood, and increased obesity,” said Kim, quoted from the page. PreventionTuesday (21/2/2023).
According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 13 percent of adult women in the US have had a binge drinking. Nearly half of adult women in the US drink alcohol within 30 days.
The CDC notes that biological differences in body structure and chemistry mean that most women absorb more alcohol, and take longer to metabolize it than men. That makes women more vulnerable to the negative long-term health effects of alcohol than men.
“Alcohol consumption is associated with most cancers. A recent study showed that no alcohol is safe and the pancreas is very vulnerable to the effects of alcohol,” said Anton Bilchik, surgical oncologist and chair of the division of general surgery at Providence Saint John Health Center.
Early-stage pancreatic cancer often doesn’t cause any symptoms. However, when symptoms do occur, they can include jaundice, stomach or back pain, loss of weight and appetite, nausea and vomiting, blood clots, diabetes, and an enlarged gallbladder or liver.
Not all pancreatic cancer can be prevented, but there are general preventative measures such as not smoking, exercising regularly, maintaining an ideal body weight, and not drinking alcohol. It is recommended to eat a healthy diet that includes fruit, vegetables and whole grains, as well as limiting red meat, sugary drinks and processed foods.
