You probably heard that Steve Jobs- the former head of Apple died this week of pancreatic cancer. While pancreatic cancer is the 10th most common kind of cancer in the US, it’s the 4th most common cause of cancer death. It often has a poor prognosis partly because people often don’t have any symptoms until it’s pretty advanced- meaning that folks get diagnosed late in the disease. Family history is the biggest risk factor for getting pancreatic cancer, but people that smoke cigarettes or are obese have a higher risk of getting pancreatic cancer. Moderate alcohol consumption doesn’t appear to pose an additional risk- but some studies show that heavy drinking can increase your risk.
You can reduce your risk by quitting smoking, eating a diet that’s high in fruits and vegetables, avoiding excessive sugary drinks, and getting plenty of exercise. Sound familiar?
Will,
I see you mentioned family history as a factor. My parents nor my grandparents on either side had pacreatic cancer yet, I have had an older brother and an older sister die of pancreatic cancer around the age of 55. There were 7 years apart and I am the youngest. Sister was 3 years older, brother 10 years older.
I have been told, by no authority mind you, that the odds are astronicmical that I too will get the disease, what say you?
Harry,
Please consult a physician.
Thank you.
Dear Harper,
I am a cancer survivor. I was also a pre-med student. In my forth year premed, i was so sick that i had to leave school to fight for my life.
In my opinion, no one can accurately predict you will have a certain type of cancer because you have a family story of it. You, however, have an increased risk, which you reduce by living a healthy lifestyle. For information on cancer prevention, you can visit this link: http://www.cancereffects.com/Cancer-Prevention-Methods-That-Work!.html .