pancreatic cancer ‘rising rapidly’ among women, study says
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pancreatic cancer can be frustratingly difficult to detect because symptoms usually only appear once tumours have begun to take a toll on the body. getty
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one of the deadliest forms of cancer is on the rise, according to a new study that found younger women — particularly black women — may be bearing the brunt of the increase.
the large-scale study, conducted at cedars-sinai cancer and published in the journal gastroenterology, found that while the prevalence of pancreatic cancer has increased for both sexes, the rates for women under the age of 55 rose 2.4 per cent higher than for men of the same age. rates among young black women rose 2.23 per cent higher than those among young black men.
“we can tell that the rate of pancreatic cancer among women is rising rapidly, which calls attention to the need for further research in this area,” said srinivas gaddam, senior author of the study and associate director of pancreatic biliary research at cedars-sinai. “there’s a need to understand these trends and to make changes today so this doesn’t affect women disproportionately in the future.”
the pancreas is a small organ located behind the stomach that produces enzymes and hormones that help the body break down food and convert it into energy. pancreatic cancer can be frustratingly difficult to detect because symptoms usually only appear once tumours have begun to take a toll on the body.
just under 7,000 canadians were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year, according to the canadian cancer society, with roughly 5,700 patients succumbing to the disease. while patient prognosis can vary depending on how early the cancer is detected, the five-year net survival rate for pancreatic cancer is just 10 per cent in canada.
to arrive at their findings, researchers studied data from the national program of cancer registries, a database containing information on almost two-thirds of the u.s. population, for patients who were diagnosed with the deadly disease between 2001 and 2018. they found that while the prognosis for the disease may be improving, so too is its prevalence.
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“while we’re reporting improving survival in pancreatic cancer each year, that improvement is largely among men,” gaddam said. “the mortality rate among women is not improving.”
the team suspects rising rates of the disease may have something to do with the type and location of tumours produced. they found that the prevalence of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, a particularly aggressive form of tumour that forms at the head of the pancreas, appears to be on the rise.
and while they hope their findings prompt further research, the team stressed that, at this point, there is no need to be alarmed. “the data shows us a small increase in risk of pancreatic cancer,” gaddam said. “and that awareness might refocus people on the need to stop smoking, reduce alcohol use, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and manage their weight. these lifestyle changes all help decrease the risk of pancreatic cancer.”
people who experience enduring abdominal pain often worry they may have pancreatic cancer but this is usually a sign of some other condition, gaddam said. anyone experiencing unexplained weight loss or jaundice, however, should consult a doctor as these are more concerning signs of the disease or another serious condition.
in the future, the team hopes to focus on the causes of the trends they uncovered, including any potential differences in the progression of pancreatic tumours in men and women.
dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
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