Patient Voices: Pancreatic Cancer

It is estimated that 5 percent of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive past five years. What is it like to be faced with such statistics? To survive? Here, in their own words, are the experiences of seven men and women. (Join the discussion here. )

Kim Jong Il has pancreatic cancer according to YTN News

Kim Jong Il has pancreatic cancer - YTN News, citing unidentified intelligence sources in South Korea and China, reported Monday that the 67-year-old leader has pancreatic cancer.

South Korea's Unification Ministry flatly denied the report, which comes a week after a frail-looking Kim appeared in public for the first time in months.

Doctors told South Korea's state-run Yonhap News Agency that it is impossible to tell the status of Kim's health from the recent video of the reclusive leader.

Eating Animal Fat May Lead to Pancreatic Cancer

FRIDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- Fat from red meat and dairy products can increase your risk for pancreatic cancer, researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute report.

Pancreatic cancer, which is usually fatal, is the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Various risk factors for developing the disease have been identified, including smoking, diabetes and obesity. Some studies have also linked dietary fat to increased risk, but researchers said that data had been inconclusive.

However, Rachael Z. Stolzenberg-Solomon, from the institute's cancer epidemiology and genetics division, said the new study "found an association between high fat intake and pancreatic cancer risk -- specifically, high fat from animal foods."

"These findings are in line with the dietary guidelines for Americans to reduce the amount of fat they eat," she said. "Reducing fat may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer."

The report is published online June 26 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The researchers collected data on more than a half-million people -- 308,736 men and 216,737 women -- who participated in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. All participants completed a 124-item food questionnaire in 1995 and 1996.

During an average of six years of follow-up, 1,337 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Men who consumed the most fat from animal sources had a 53 percent increased risk of developing pancreatic cancerand women had a 23 percent increased risk, compared with men and women who ate the least fat, the study found.

In addition, it found that people who ate high amounts of saturated fats had 36 percent higher rates of pancreatic cancer than did those who ate low amounts.

Dr. Brian M. Wolpin, and oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and co-author of an accompanying journal editorial, said the study might provide clues to the disease.

"We know very little about pancreatic cancer and what the causes are, and we don't do a very good job treating it," Wolpin said.

He noted that in addition to the possibility of a link between pancreatic cancer and fat, there are other good reasons to limit consumption of red meat and animal fat, including an increased risk for other cancers.

People who eat a lot of red meat tend to engage in other unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, Wolpin said. "Whether it's red meat or a constituent of red meat or your overall lifestyle that matters, these studies cannot tease out to a convincing extent," he said. "But it's clear that lifestyle does impact this disease."

Eric J. Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society, said that the study "provides important evidence that a diet high in animal fat may increase risk of one of the leadingcauses of cancer death."

"While further confirmatory research about animal fat and pancreatic cancer is still needed, results of this study support the American Cancer Society's recommendations to limit red meat and emphasize plant foods to help reduce risk of a variety of cancers," Jacobs said.

In addition to diet, weight appears to be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

Research reported in the June 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that being overweight or obese as a young adult increases the risk for pancreatic cancer, and obesity in middle age is linked with poorer survival from the disease.

Being overweight in your 30s was associated with a 60 percent increased risk for pancreatic cancer, and being obese was associated with a twofold to threefold higher risk, the researchers found.

"Something associated with obesity apparently drives pancreatic cancer," said Dr. Robert R. McWilliams, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic and co-author of a JAMA editorial on the study. "As a scientific community, we need to understand the underlying mechanism. Hopefully, this can lead to future treatment strategies."

More information

The American Cancer Society has more on pancreatic cancer.

Demerol

Demerol is in a group of drugs called narcotic pain relievers. It is similar to morphine.

Demerol is used to treat moderate-to-severe pain.

Demerol may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about Demerol?

Demerol may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Demerol should never be given to another person, especially someone who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it. Do not drink alcohol while you are taking Demerol. Dangerous side effects or death can occur when alcohol is combined with a narcotic pain medicine.Check your food and medicine labels to be sure these products do not contain alcohol. Never take more than your prescribed dose of Demerol. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in relieving your pain. Demerol can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Do not stop using Demerol suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Talk to your doctor about how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when stopping the medication.

Nick Vujicic-Hong Kong Tour YouTube

The Most Interesting Man in the World on Himself

Farrah - Get well ! ! !

"Farrah Fawcett choked up watching the documentary that chronicled her battle with cancer.

"She cried a few times. It was very emotional for her," her friend Alana Stewart told NBC's Today show Monday. "It's been a very, very long journey, you know, and going back through it was probably a bit painful."

Ryan O'Neal, Fawcett's boyfriend, told Today Fawcett had a "very low pulse" when she began watching, but it "kept going up and up" as she continued to tune in.

Check out photos of stars who beat cancer.

The video diary Farrah's Story earned about 9 million viewers. Fawcett also joked about the ratings, O'Neal says.

"I said, 'We did very well last night,' And she said, 'What were the numbers?'" O'Neal told the Today show. "And it made me laugh that she would still have those terms in her head."

See the day's top news photos.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Steve Whitmore, confirms to Usmagazine.comthat Fawcett's troubled son Redmond O'Neal was not released from prison for a second time to see his ailing mother Friday -- as incorrectly reported by tabloid In Touch.

"That's inaccurate, it did not happen," Whitmore tells Us. "He never left his jail cell last Friday."

Join Us on Facebook and Twitter for even more up to the minute celebrity news and photos!"

cancer is not ........

bloomberg: Jobs’s Pancreas May Be Removed After Complications

"Surgery that Apple Inc.’s Steve Jobs may be having to remove his pancreas could be the result of painful side effects from a cancer procedure, or the return of tumors he said were removed five years ago, doctors say.

If Jobs had a so-called Whipple procedure to excise the cancer, parts of his pancreas and other organs were removed. Sometimes, damage from cancer and the surgery can spur side effects, including enzyme leaks, that worsen in time, spurring a decision to remove the entire pancreas, said Robert Thomas, head of surgery at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne.

Most often, the pancreas is removed because the cancer has returned, said Andrew Lowy, head of the division of surgical oncology at Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego. In either case, patients must take insulin, a hormone produced in the organ, for the rest of their lives, along with enzymes to help digestion, the doctors said."

guardian: Survival rates for pancreas cancer

These are the survival rates for pancreas cancer.[1]

Please bear in mind that these numbers are from research studies. You are not a statistic, and no-one can tell you what's going to happen to you.

Survival for one year

Sadly, most people are diagnosed with advanced cancer and will have less than a year to live.

About 13 in 100 people with pancreas cancer live for one year after they find out they have the disease.

Survival for five years

Up to 3 in 100 people who are diagnosed with pancreas cancer are alive five years later.

If your cancer is diagnosed early

The outlook for people whose cancer is diagnosed early is better than this. If surgery is possible, then between 7 in 100 and 25 in 100 people will be alive five years later.

References

Cancer research UK. Pancreatic cancer survival statistics. June 2006. Available at http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/pancreas/survival/ (accessed on 4 December 2007).

prayers to jobs

"Apple Inc begins the New Year on an unhealthy note. Steve Jobs has broken the silence, putting an end to months of speculation about his ill health.
In an e-mail sent to Apple employees, he dismissed rumours that he was on the 'deathbed'.
"As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my priority. Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause - a hormone imbalance that has been "robbing" me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis," he said.
Image: Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs speaks at Apple's "Let's Rock" media event in San Francisco, California September 9, 2008. Photograph: Robert Galbraith/Reuters"

Steve Jobs May Have Pancreas Removed After Cancer, Doctors Say

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs could be facing surgery to remove his pancreas, doctors say.

Jobs said yesterday he’s taking a five-month leave of absence after discovering that his health problems are “more complex” than he thought last week.

Jobs had a procedure similar to a Whipple operation, which involves removing parts of the pancreas, bile duct and small intestine, after he was diagnosed with a rare type of pancreatic cancer in 2004. A potential side effect of this procedure is that the organ has to be removed to prevent pancreatic leak, and the patient has to be kept alive with insulin to regulate blood sugar, said Robert Thomas, head of surgery at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne.

“You might have to take the rest of the pancreas out,” said Thomas, 66, who first performed the Whipple’s procedure more than 20 years ago. “You’re on significant doses of insulin, and it’s not easy to manage. The person has the risk of severe diabetes.”

Psychology.com: The Paradox of Expectations

"Beginning a new year often brings forth a review of our expectations and I thought it might be a good idea to briefly examine this topic. As with many concepts in our culture, we tend to fall well short of fully appreciating what these terms truly suggest and at times, the apparent contradictions that they may evoke. This is certainly the case with the word expectations. Are they to be valued and embraced or do they impede us and distort our life experiences? The answer depends on a host of things.
One size doesn’t typically fit all and we need to look at how we employ the word expectations. From the perspective of some spiritual traditions we should be disinclined to attach to expectations as they may block our direct experience of life and impose a bondage of belief upon us. Traditional western values that inculcate and reward achievement honor high expectations, for they drive our culture and our economy."

Patrick Swayze hospitalized for pneumonia

Patrick Swayze was hospitalized and being treated for pneumonia Friday, days after he said in a prime-time special that he's "angry" and "going through hell" in his fight to beat inoperable pancreatic cancer.The news was revealed during an event for television critics in Los Angeles, where Swayze, 56, had been scheduled to discuss his upcoming A&E series "The Beast." He "asked us specifically to go forward with today's panel," said A&E Television Networks president and chief executive Abbe Raven.Last year, the actor revealed he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. His publicist said there would be "no statement at this time."Bob DeBitetto, a top A&E executive, said at the critic's session that Swayze had decided to check himself into the hospital "for observation" after coming down with pneumonia. "Patrick did want me to tell you that he is very sorry he couldn't be at the panel this morning, but he plans to get back to promoting 'The Beast' as soon as he is back on his feet."

Patrick Swayze Opens Up About Pancreatic Cancer

"Patrick Swayze has tried an experimental drug as part of his pancreatic cancer treatment, and he says he's not giving up despite grim odds.
Swayze, who starred in the films Dirty Dancing and Ghost and is filming a new TV show called The Beast, talks about his pancreatic cancer in an exclusive interview with ABC. Swayze tells Barbara Walters that he has stage IV pancreatic cancer that had already spread to his liver when it was diagnosed in March 2008.
"I'm going through hell, and I've only seen the beginning of it," Swayze says in interview excerpts posted by ABC.
Swayze, 56, also says that surviving five years is "wishful thinking," but that living two more years "seems likely, if you're going to believe the statistics." And he defines "winning" as "not giving up."
Swayze didn't have surgery for his pancreatic cancer because the cancer had already spread when it was diagnosed. His treatment included aggressive chemotherapy and an experimental drug called vatalanib.
Here are answers to questions about Swayze's pancreatic cancer.
What is stage IV pancreatic cancer?
In stage IV pancreatic cancer, the cancer has already spread beyond the pancreas, explains Gagandeep Singh, MD, FACS, director of the Liver and Pancreas Center at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, Calif.
Singh is not treating Swayze.
What is the typical prognosis for stage 4 pancreatic cancer?
"Five-year survival is almost unheard of," Singh says. "But the flip side is that there are two to three percent [of patients] who do make five years.
"Each person should not treat themselves as a number -- that I have a 97% chance of dying from this disease because it's disseminated. Maybe I'm in the 2% or 3% that is going to survive five years," he says.
Singh notes that those five-year survival rates are based on data that dates back 20-30 years, and since then, new drugs have debuted.
"Now, the buzzword is targeted therapy," Singh says. He explains that in targeted therapy, drugs target a certain receptor or protein that is particularly abundant, or overexpressed, in a tumor.
Besides chemotherapy, Swayze took an experimental drug called vatalanib. What does that drug do?
Vatalanib inhibits tyrosine kinases, which are enzymes needed for cell growth, cell proliferation, and cell differentiation.
"What inhibition of this does is you're stunting the growth of the tumor," Singh says. "You're preventing it from getting more aggressive, with the hope that it ultimately dies and goes away."
He points out that vatalanib is still being tested and isn't available yet.
What else is in the pipeline for treatment?
"There are probably at least 100 to 150 new drugs that are in the pipeline," says Singh, adding that most experimental drugs are used with chemotherapy when other treatments fail.