Because several newspapers are reporting that Aretha Franklin has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we at Vital Signs decided to take a closer look at this deadly disease.
First, let’s start with the bad news: this is one of the deadliest of cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 38,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and about 34,000 people die from the disease each year.
Because its symptoms are often silent, many patients do not see a doctor until the disease has advanced. That’s why only four percent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive five years or longer.
For many people, the first sign of the disease is jaundice — yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes. Jaundice is one of the most common symptoms because 75 percent of pancreatic cancers are located in the head of the pancreas, according to Dr. Jason Klapman, assistant member of the gastrointestinal oncology program at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
A tumor located in the head of the pancreas causes blockages of the bile duct, Klapman said, and results in jaundice.
People with pancreatic cancer may also experience severe abdominal pain or new onset of diabetes, Klapman said. In 75 percent of cases, he said, the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas and is inoperable.
But pay attention for early signs of the disease. “if you develop diabetes or you notice you’re losing weight — unexplained weight loss with abdominal pain — things like that should be reported to your doctor,” said Dr. Klapman. “unfortunately, most of the time it’s silent.”
Who’s at risk for getting the disease? Blacks are at higher risk than whites and they often get the disease earlier than whites, though doctors aren’t sure why. Smokers are at higher risk, as are people who eat diets high in meat and fat. Also at risk: people who have cirrhosis (a chronic liver disease), diabetes or chronic pancreatitis.
Genetics also play a role. People who have two or more family members with the disease are at higher risk, as are those with the BRCA2 breast cancer genetic mutation.
There have been some reports — though the information is still sketchy — that Aretha Franklin has been operated on and that she described the surgery as “successful. “ if she has pancreatic cancer, doctors say that may indicate that her cancer was limited to the pancreas and hasn’t spread to nearby blood vessels. In those instances, doctors recommend surgery to remove the tumor.
Still, the outlook is not promising — even for patients whose tumor is completely removed. Only 20 percent of patients who have surgery survive five years or more. “there is no guarantee, but we always recommend operation if possible,” Klapman said.
Because the traditional treatments for pancreatic cancer — which consist of chemotherapy and radiation — have such poor results, Klapman recommends that anyone who is diagnosed with the disease go to a cancer institute, such as Moffitt or M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, to enroll in a trial for new drugs and new treatments.