Pancreatic cancer occurs when cells in the pancreas grow uncontrollably, thus forming malignancy. The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is still unknown, but there are several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing this cancer. To find out what these factors are, consider the following explanation.
Pancreatic cancer is a condition in which there is a malignant tumor in the pancreas, which is an organ located near the stomach.
The pancreas is responsible for producing enzymes that the body needs to digest and absorb carbohydrates, protein, and fat found in food. In addition to enzymes, the pancreas also produces two important hormones for the body, namely insulin and glucagon.
Pancreatic cancer in its early stages generally has no typical symptoms, or even no symptoms. Pancreatic cancer usually only shows symptoms when the condition is classified as severe. These symptoms include:
- Decreased or loss of appetite.
- Weight loss even if you are not on a special diet.
- Pain in the upper abdomen that extends to the back, pain can be felt more severe when lying down or after eating.
- Yellow skin.
- Indigestion, such as flatulence, diarrhea, and nausea.
- The body feels weak.
- Itching all over the body.
If you experience some of the symptoms above, consult a doctor immediately to determine whether the symptoms are caused by pancreatic cancer or not.
Causes and Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer occurs when pancreatic cells undergo genetic mutations, so that these cells continue to grow and multiply uncontrollably.
So far, the exact cause of genetic mutations in pancreatic cells is not known with certainty. Even so, there are some things that are known to increase a person's risk of developing pancreatic cancer, namely:
1. Heredity factors
Someone has a risk of pancreatic cancer if one or both parents have had pancreatic cancer. This is thought to be due to the genetic component that causes pancreatic cancer which is inherited in children.
2. Old age
Pancreatic cancer is more common in older people, at the age of 50-80 years. Statistically, this disease is most found in those aged between 65-70 years.
3. Smoking habits
In addition to heredity and age, smoking is also a risk factor that plays a major role in increasing the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Based on the results of a study, it is known that about 30% of pancreatic cancer sufferers are heavy smokers. In addition to smoking, exposure to toxic chemicals can also increase a person's risk of pancreatic cancer.
4. Unhealthy eating patterns
Not maintaining diet is one of the risk factors that can cause pancreatic cancer. Unhealthy eating patterns that can cause pancreatic cancer are rarely consume fruits and vegetables, and too often consume red meat and fatty foods, including fried foods, processed meat, or smoked meat.
In addition to these diets, the habit of consuming alcohol can also be a risk factor for someone affected by pancreatic cancer.
5. History of certain diseases
There are several diseases that can increase a person's risk for pancreatic cancer, namely uncontrolled diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, peptic ulcers, H. pylori bacterial infections, and hepatitis B.
People who have a history of cancer, such as gastric cancer, mouth and throat cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, or prostate cancer, are also more at risk for developing pancreatic cancer.
In addition to the above factors, a number of other factors, such as lack of lycopene and selenium, being overweight or obese, are often exposed to high intensity radiation, or have undergone radiation therapy, can also increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Preventing Pancreatic Cancer
Some risk factors for pancreatic cancer cannot be avoided. These unavoidable risk factors are old age and heredity. However, that does not mean this disease can not be avoided at all.
To reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, there are several things you can do, namely:
- Live a healthy diet, by increasing fiber intake from vegetables and fruits, such as mustard greens, broccoli, guava, melons, papaya, and tomatoes.
- Maintain ideal body weight. This can be achieved through a healthy diet and exercise routine.
- Do not smoke and consume alcoholic drinks.
- Avoid exposure to toxic substances, such as pesticides and certain synthetic dyes.
In addition to a healthy lifestyle, it is also important to routinely carry out health checks (check-ups) to the doctor regularly to find out your overall health condition.
Especially if you have parents or biological families with a history of pancreatic cancer, or if you have the risk factors mentioned above.
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