Pancreatic Cancer

Smoking.

Don't think he was a smoker, r1.

Factors that may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer include:

Smoking

Diabetes

Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)

Family history of genetic syndromes that can increase cancer risk, including a BRCA2 gene mutation, Lynch syndrome and familial atypical mole-malignant melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome

Family history of pancreatic cancer

Obesity

Older age, as most people are diagnosed after age 65

A large study demonstrated that the combination of smoking, long-standing diabetes and a poor diet increases the risk of pancreatic cancer beyond the risk of any one of these factors alone.

Genetic and you can't fight it.

I expect long term, my HIV meds will get me to this situation

[quote]Family history of pancreatic cancer

My father and 2 of my mother's brothers died of pancreatic cancer.

The first hint of any of the symptoms and I'll be at the doctors.

R6, you don’t get symptoms until stage 4.

R6, did they smoke? Obese? Drink a lot?

R5, what are you talking about?

My mother, a generally healthy, 88-year old, non-smoker, died within 3 months of her pancreatic cancer diagnosis. There was no prior family history of pancreatic cancer. Now there is. Although I would have liked her to have more than 88 years, I suppose 88 years of generally healthy life isn't such a bad deal.

R5 - HIV meds can get you to have pancreatic cancer?

My grandmother died about 3 weeks after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

But this was 51 years in 1970. Treatments have improved considerably since then.

I know two people who died from pancreatic cancer. One was in his 30's and the other in his 50's. Both started with very nonspecific abdominal symptoms.

The problem is that by the time it's diagnosed, it's too late.

I don't think there's genetic connection

[quote][R6], did they smoke? Obese? Drink a lot?

My father smoked all his life. He was diagnosed at 70. My two uncles never smoked, didn't drink much and were active. One was mid 60s, other mid 70s.

I've been reading up and finding some research making the link between meat, alcohol and PC. Don't know if anyone else has had this experience of know people in this "category."

Alcohol abuse will definitely be a factor.

I’ve got two words for you, folks: olive oil. Incorporate lots of it into a healthy diet and you won’t have to worry about pancreatic cancer and most other cancers for that matter. It’s the key to a long, healthy life.

Whether you follow the Paleo diet or the Mediterranean diet or some mix, you should be eating foods that are heavy on olive oil.

You can, R4 and some have. But it is virulent and many are stage IV before they realize they have it.

R11

Pancreatitis is a well-described complication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) itself and its combination antiretroviral therapy.

R16, consider very carefully the sources of any who claim meat is a problem. Where is their funding coming from and did they declare any conflicts, which they are supposed to do in the study.

Cause factors for PC?

Being a unibrow twat at Brown?

The pancreas’ close proximity to other digestive organs makes it more likely to spread and unfortunately as said earlier, it usually not diagnosed until stage 4. Surgical treatment involves a Whipple procedure, one of the most complicated surgeries out there. We do have one patient who had a Whipple about 4 years ago and is doing pretty well, remarkably.

For some it is a genetic component. Charlotte Rae had multiple family members die of the disease so she was monitored for a number of years and sure enough she was diagnosed with it, but because she was monitored her doctors got it at a very early stage.

Steve Jobs was having a medical procedure when the doctors found his at a very early stage and cureable stage. His doctors were jumping up and down telling him they could remove it and that it was close to a miracle that it was found at an early stage. He declined and said he was going to try some sort of holistic diet to cure it. Less than a year later he decided to have the surgery and the doctors told him there really wasn’t anything they could do for him because he waited too long. He really thought he was invincible and knew better.

R20 - well pancreatitis is, I have heard, a deeply painful condition which can be a harbinger of cancer. This is the reason I fear HIV and am amazed at how so many live with it these days. Sure, the meds help and yes, some have it easier than others, but too many who are under 40 don't remember the AIDS era or just ignore the hardship of living with HIV. I really wish more gay men living with it would educate younger men about it.

Thanks for all your good comments. I believe there was some form of alcohol abuse or more accurately, regular "social" drinking coupled with fairly regular solo drinking r17. A long history of it.

I was diagnosed with stage II pancreatic cancer 10 years ago when I was 55. My diagnosis concluded that the cancer was probably from chronic pancreatitis. I underwent a laparoscopic whipple procedure at Cleveland Clinic, followed by chemotherapy. There were complications after surgery with infection, abdominal abscesses and pneumonia. That delayed the beginning of chemotherapy treatment. My gastroenterologist, at first consultation, warned me that I was facing major surgery. He must have said it a half dozen times. You do your research and learn what the whipple sugery involves and you think you understand what major surgery is, but you really don't. I wasn't prepared for everything involved. I'm in generally good health today. There have been delayed complications over the years. I see my oncologist twice a year for a complete blood work-up. The latest results in January couldn't have been more normal for anyone. As my GP said, I was luckily unlucky.

PC got Juliet Prowse at 59 and she was in great shape.

It KILLED Pa Ingalls!

So glad they caught it, r27. You had great doctors.

I'm on Prep, so I'm not afraid of it.

R6 you should talk to an oncologist and find out how often you can get tested.

[quote] Thanks for all your good comments. I believe there was some form of alcohol abuse or more accurately, regular "social" drinking coupled with fairly regular solo drinking

I knew someone that was a very nice person - not the healthiest, very much a bear, but didn't seem to have any externally obvious health issues.

About 5 years ago I got a message from mutual friends that his liver was shutting down and he was in hospice. I was stunned.

Apparently, he'd been a really quiet, but seriously heavy drinker. He was a sensitive soul who wanted to change the world. I miss him so much. One of those people I always thought the world of, but never had the time to see him or tell him what he meant to me.

Bad movies?

r27 what symptoms caused you to get checked? Is there a tumor in the pancreas? Sorry, I don't know.

Well you are wrong r14.

There is absolutely a genetic connection with pancreatic cancer. Google it.

Unfortunately sometimes your risk level is outside of your control, just luck of draw.

R21, seriously? Where do you think the money comes from? The powerful and rich cucumber growers of America? That’s not how any of this works, ffs!

You can't argue with conspiracy theorists r37.

People living with HIV have a 50% increased risk for cancers, the big ones are, Kaposi sarcoma, aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cervical cancer. But many cancers are more likely than those without HIV.

It’s not a conspiracy theory to question the motivations and possible agendas of those making claims, R38, regardless of whether the claims come from a person or a corporation. You and R37 don’t sound very bright.

R39 People with HIV on treatment have extensive blood tests on a regular (at least 6 monthly) basis (liver function, kidney function, diabetes, white cell counts etc). Anything even slightly out of normal results in very thorough investigations.

If your treatment was failing badly enough for you to get KS or PCP Pneumonia they'd be aware before you were.

[37] I had gone to my doctor because of occasional abdominal/stomach pain for years. Endoscopies, colonoscopies....the diagnosis was IBS. It would flair up a couple of times a year. In hindsight, it was undiagnosed pancreatitis. The last time, it was particularly painful so my doctor suggested an ultrasound to see if it may be gall bladder, which he had previously ruled out years before. That came back inconclusive so I had a CAT scan. That's when the tumor was found. Wasn't looking for it but there it was! I got a phone call from his office telling me what was found and to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist immediately. That's how it all began.

I meant to reply to 35, not 37.

I had a close friend in college who went home for summer break after our junior year and less than a month later his mother called me one day to tell me he had died of pancreatic cancer.

OP what meds do you take? Supposedly it's the old meds that were the worst for pancreatitis. I'm on Triumeq an NNRTI and it's unlikely to be rough on the pancreas thankfully, those old meds were nasty but they kept people alive.

The two people I know who died of Pancreatic Cancer came from families who died of various cancers- breast, ovarian, and pancreas. Both families were Jewish. Everybody who died where in their 50's.

This has me worried. I've had issues since my gall bladder removal 7+ yrs ago and may be having chronic pancreatitis. I already take Creon to help digestion.

I know I'm going to pay for not going to the doctor for a year due to COVID. Instead of a quick brutal death from COVID it will get my ass in some other way. : (

Alcohol's effect on pancreatic cancer risk is unclear, according to the American Cancer Society.

Start eating healthy, don't smoke and avoid distilled alcohol like the plague. Drink in moderation. Wine. and other fermented products like cognac or brandy.