Pancreatic cancer stage 4

Malignant lesion of the pancreas, as statistics show, is in tenth place in terms of primary diagnosis. Targets of this disease are usually men over 50. "At the start" it is found very rarely, and every fifth cancer patient dies from pancreatic cancer stage 4. How much live with this diagnosis?

Last stage of cancer: what happens in the body?

The fourth degree is practically not amenable to medical treatment, since during this period the cancer cells had already spread throughout the body, and the size of the tumors reached an impressive size - 5-30 cm. This prevents the organs from performing their functions normally. For a given neoplasm, rapid and aggressive growth and early metastasis are typical. Pathology looks like a knot of a pale yellow color.

At first, pancreatic cancer behaves quietly, so a person begins to suspect that something is wrong when characteristic and painful signs of the disease appear (which usually happens in stage 4). At this stage, the patient is worried about these symptoms:

• pain. Her seizures are repeated quite often and are characterized by high intensity. This usually happens at night. The pain tends to increase when a person tries to change the position of the body;
• yellowing of the skin. As the tumor presses down the ducts of the gall, bile stasis develops. The skin begins to itch and becomes yellowish;
• drastic weight loss. This is due to the fact that the pancreas stops generating the enzymes required for the processing of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Metabolism is disturbed, the body loses nutrients. The patient cannot eat food normally;
• aversion to food, nausea and vomiting. All of these symptoms are manifestations of cancer intoxication;
• indisposition, decreased performance, indifference to what is happening.

What diagnostics will have to pass?

Today, the diagnosis is used to confirm the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer:

• Ultrasound. It will show the presence of a neoplasm and its dimensions;
• x-ray It will give an opportunity to assess the prevalence and structure of the tumor;
• CT and MRI. With the help of this diagnostics, it is possible to obtain a graphic image of the affected organ and a characteristic of its histological structure;
• biopsy. The procedure, in the course of which a fragment of the affected tissue is taken for analysis, and its cytological and histological examination is carried out. This is necessary to determine the type of tumor and the degree of metastasis.

How long does a cancer patient live?

The main question, the answer to which is looking for a person who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, is how long to live if the disease has gone so far. How much is allotted to a person directly depends on the number of foci of metastasis, the treatment and care provided.

Immediately I must say that this is one of the most serious pathologies. The forecast is definitely unfavorable. On average, people with this disease live from 6 months to a year (this applies to 90% of patients). It is possible to live 5 years only 1-5% of the diseased. To carry out the operation often does not make sense, since it usually leads to a fatal outcome in the early or late postoperative period. In addition, resection can be carried out no more than 20% of patients. The survival rate of patients after surgery ranges from 5 to 8%, and the mortality rate among those operated on reaches 10-15%. The main cause of death after resection is recurrence after surgery.

Nothing can be said for consolation even if pancreatic cancer with liver metastases is detected. How many people live with such a lesion depends little on the treatment. The patient in any case will last only a few months. In the hospital, he may have an operation to restore the intestinal patency, and for pain relief - to assign narcotic painkillers. The use of cytotoxic drugs helps to prolong life expectancy. But even these measures are unlikely to help a person live more than 4-5 months.

All medical care in stage 4 is only to alleviate the suffering of the patient and, as far as possible, prolong his life. But even with quality treatment, which includes removal of the gland with part of the ducts, radiation, radio and chemotherapy, and anesthesia, a person lives a maximum of a year. At the same time, only 5% of patients fall out of such happiness - more often the life span does not exceed 3-6 months. Much depends on the diet. It should sharply limit the use of products that stimulate the secretion of pancreatic enzymes, there are small portions and little by little.

If the victim of the tumor goes to the doctor and is examined at stage 1 or 2, then the prognosis is significantly improved. With adequate treatment, he has every chance to live for several years. At such stages, the five-year survival rate is already 15%!

In fact, if a person was overtaken by such a tragedy as pancreatic cancer, stage 4, then it is not only important for him how much they live, but also how he will live the time allotted to him by the disease. Therefore, it is hardly worth refusing treatment. After all, this will further reduce his chances of living at least a couple of years (without medical assistance, this can only be 2%).

There is one more important point: modern oncological practice does not stand still. New methods and methods of treatment have a positive effect on the survival statistics of people with cancer in the last stage. Of course, the news that such a disease was discovered in a person is a shock for him and his relatives. But this does not mean that he will die right tomorrow. We must convince the patient of the need for treatment. This is the only way to prolong his life.