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."

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cancer is not ........