Pancreatic cancer is a disease with increasing incidence among the population. According to data collected by the SEOM the incidence of this cancer has increased by around 2.5% since 2018, and the lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer is around 1%.
Dr Juan Carlos Meneu Díaz, expert in pancreatic cancer treatment
To learn more about this disease that affects more and more people, we talked with him Dr. Juan Carlos Meneu Díaz, Head of General Surgery and Digestive Diseases at the Ruber Juan Bravo Hospital and Medical Director at Oncocir.
Dr. Meneu, in addition to being a renowned surgeon, has achieved great medical achievements to treat this disease, including “promoting the laparoscopic approach for the staging and resection of this type of tumors, the multidisciplinary and individualized evaluation of each screening programs for malignant lesions in patients with recognized risk factors, and the implementation of high-resolution intraoperative ultrasound to detect non-palpable or visible lesions on the surface ”.
What is the main function of the pancreas?
The pancreas is an organ made up of two types of glands: exocrine and endocrine. It is located in the upper left part of the abdomen, behind the stomach and is a fundamental organ for digestion and the production of hormones. There are many diseases associated with this organ, the most common being diabetes due to malfunction, pancreatitis due to inflammation or pancreatic cancer due to the appearance of tumors.
Pancreatic cancer has a lower incidence if we compare it with others such as lung or breast cancer. But according to the Dr Juan Carlos Meneu Díaz, “Its difficulty in detecting it in the non-symptomatic or not very symptomatic phase, makes its prognosis bleaker than that of other tumors, especially if adequate surgical and oncological treatment is not carried out in the earliest stages, which are potentially curable”
“The survival rate in the localized phases is 10 times higher than that obtained in the phases with distant disease, therefore, early diagnosis, together with adequate surgical and oncological treatment, are determinants of long-term survival . We must fight for this, for early diagnosis and invest research in it so that more people can be diagnosed in time for surgery – currently the only possibility of a cure “according to Dr Meneu.
What types of pancreatic tumors are there?
There are two main types of tumors depending on whether they occur in the exocrine or endocrine glands. 95% of cases of pancreatic cancer is adenocarcinoma, it originates when the number of exocrine cells begins to increase uncontrollably.
How is pancreatic cancer treated?
Many aspects of this disease are still unknown, and it is vital to continue researching and seeking appropriate funding. “Today, surgery is the best solution: they are complex interventions that require impeccable coordination between surgeons, anesthetists, intensivists, internists in shared care, pathologists, medical oncologists and radiation therapists. In short, the experience of the teams and the Hospital can be decisive ”.
For this reason we try to “consolidate a multidisciplinary approach model, more effective and more humanized. Let it heal and accompany a very difficult process ”. For this reason, “we rely on cancer therapies and treatments through immunological, antineoplastic and radiotherapy drugs.”
Some tips from Dr Juan Carlos Meneu to prevent pancreatic cancer.
However, like almost any disease, preventing and having good habits is one of the most effective options to reduce the chances of suffering from this disease.
The specialist Dr. Juan Carlos Meneu Díaz gives us a series of tips to avoid the appearance of diseases, especially pancreatic tumors.
1. Eat a healthy diet.
The first rule to prevent any type of disease. The pancreas is an organ that helps with digestion and we avoid the appearance of diseases if we maintain a healthy diet. “Consuming alcohol or eating foods high in triglycerides such as butter very frequently, are harmful to our pancreas and increases the possibility of causing diseases such as pancreatitis or the appearance of tumors.” The surgeon comments.
Regular consumption of high-fat foods is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Research has shown that obese people, and even overweight men and women, are at higher risk of being diagnosed with and dying from pancreatic cancer.
“The consumption of red and processed meat and its relationship with pancreatic cancer is controversial, there is limited evidence that links a higher risk (increased by 65%) associated with excessive consumption of the same in those older than 50 years ”, says Dr Meneu.
2.Physical activity and healthy weight
Regular physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and can also reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer and other diseases.
3.Avoid tobacco
It is one of the main agents linked to pancreatic cancer (it increases the risk by 75%). It is estimated that about 25% of pancreatic cancer cases are due to tobacco use, however this risk is reduced the moment the person stops smoking.
4.- Family history and genetic susceptibility
Pancreatic cancer can run in the family, and it is called familial pancreatic cancer if at least 2 first-degree relatives, such as parents, children, or siblings, or at least 3 relatives have pancreatic cancer.
There are also genetic susceptibilities mediated by the presence of diseases. Among them the people affected by; Hereditary pancreatitis, Peutz-Jegher syndrome, familial malignant melanoma and pancreatic cancer, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, Lynch syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Familial adenomatous polyposis
5.-Screening in high-risk patients
In high-risk patients (accumulation of risk factors, familial pancreatic cancer, genetic susceptibility), screening programs, that is, early detection in patients without symptoms, is indicated.
The truth is that we do not have an unequivocal radiological test or an analytical marker, hence the importance of translational and clinical research for prevention.
In current screening programs, “we rely on analytics, endoscopic ultrasound, and MRI. Combining them in variable time intervals, depending on the morphological findings “
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