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Stage 4 pancreatic cancer life expectancy without treatment

The pancreas is a human organ located in the human’s abdomen. It lies horizontally behind the lower part of the stomach and has a unique function to secrete enzymes that aid hormones and digestion which are from a vital importance in the regulation of the metabolism of sugars. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deathly types of cancers. It is the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths in United States. Until now, there is no exact evidence what causes this type of cancer in the human body. One thing is known for sure – its survival rate is really low in comparison with the other types of diseases. For example, stage 4 cancer life expectancy without treatment is really short. The cancer is very hard to be diagnosed, especially until it reaches stage 3 or 4.

Pancreatic cancer: Symptoms

There are few symptoms that can point to pancreatic cancer. Until it reaches the highest stages, there are absolutely no symptoms. Immediately after it advances, the patient will notice pain in the upper abdomen. Also, the patients will loss appetite, which can lead to a significant weight loss. Other signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer are painful jaundice, diabetes mellitus, Trousseau sign and others. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer life expectancy without treatment is short because in the highest stages the cancer metastasis and it is very difficult to be treated.

Pancreatic Cancer: Life Expectancy

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers because the patient has a very short life expectancy. There are no significant signs in the earliest stages, which makes it very difficult to be diagnosed. People that have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the earlier stages have smaller chances of surviving. The patient should undertake surgery in order to get the part of the organ where the cancer is located removed thoroughly. However, in cases when the cancer is not diagnosed in the earlier stages it reaches higher stages very fast. This makes it very difficult for treatment. All people who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer live very shortly and most of them have only about 8 to 10 months left. Only 20 percent of the patients live about a one year from the date of diagnosis. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer life expectancy without treatment is very low having in mind that the cancer develops very fast and metastasis to the nearer organs.

Pancreatic Cancer: Treatments

Except the surgery, the patients who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer can use other methods in order to prolong their life. For example, many of the patients are using radiation therapy, chemotherapy or biological therapy, which is intended to improve the patient’s immune system. When the cancer reaches the highest stages it becomes very painful due to the contact it makes with the nearest organ’s nerves. The pain can be reduced with analgesics. In cases when this is not helpful, there is an alternative method found in nerve blockade or direct radiation. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer life expectancy without treatment is normally shorter than the life expectancy in cases when the condition is treated, but this does not affect the survivor rate. It is almost impossible to survive the pancreatic cancer if it is not diagnosed in the beginnings.


Pancreatic Cancer Stages

As the title would suggest this article is going to discuss the different stages of pancreatic cancer, but before we can talk about pancreatic cancer stages we have to talk about what pancreatic cancer is and why it is so important to understand. It is estimated that in the United States of America in 2012 that there will be approximately 43,920 new cases of pancreatic cancer and 37,390 deaths from this deadly form of cancer.

Pancreatic cancer, also known as exocrine cancer is defined as a disease in which malignant(cancerous) cells are found in the pancreas. This type of cancer is so deadly mainly because it is usually symptomless in the early stages of the disease. It is not until the cancer has progressed to the more advanced stages that symptoms begin to manifest, and at this point the chances of survival are diminished.

Pancreatic cancer stages

Pancreatic cancer is staged based on the size of the tumor in the pancreas, and by how much it has metastasized(spread). There are five stages by which pancreatic cancer is staged, from zero to four.

Pancreatic cancer stages – Stage 0

Pancreatic Cancer StagesThe zero stage with pancreatic cancer is when abnormal cells are found within the tissue lining the pancreas organ. At this stage there is no cancer, however the abnormal cells may become cancerous in the future. Pancreatic cancer stage 0 is also sometimes referred to as carcinoma in situ.

Pancreatic cancer stages – Stage 1 (Size approx 1-2cm)

  • Stage 1 is when cancer has formed within the pancreas, and has not metastasized(spread). Stage 1 is divided into two sub stages referred to as stage 1A and stage 1 B.
  • Stage 1A: The size of the pancreatic tumor is 2 centimeters or less.
  • Stage 2B: The size is greater than 2 centimeters.

Pancreatic cancer stages – Stage 2 (size approx 2cm)

The second stage of pancreatic cancer is defined by the spread of the cancer to nearby tissues or organs, and in some cases spread to the lymphatic system. Similar to stage 1, stage 2 is also divided into 2 sub stages.

  • Stage 2A: Cancer has metastasized to nearby organs and tissues, but not to the lymphatic system.
  • Stage 2B: Cancer has metastasized to the lymphatic system and to nearby organs and tissues.

Pancreatic cancer stages – Stage 3 (size approx 4cm)

By the time the cancer has been staged as a stage 3 the cancer has metastasized to the blood vessels surrounding the pancreas, and possibly the lymphatic system.

Pancreatic cancer stages – Stage 4 (Size approx 5cm)

In this stage of the cancer the tumor could be any size. Also in this stage there is usually a great deal of spreading of the cancer to major organs such as the lungs and lymphatic system.

Symptoms Of Pancreatic CancerThe above mentioned pancreatic cancer stages are just that stages, and within each stage there is room for interpretation. There needs to be room for interpretation due to the fact that each cancer is different and does not neatly fit into pre-determined boxes or stages. So just remember that the pancreatic cancer stages system is a guideline for doctors and that one doctor may see a stage 2 while another doctor may see that same tumor as a stage 1.

