Pancreatic cancer, as the name suggests, is the type of cancer that develops within the pancreas. This is the organ that is located behind the stomach within your upper abdomen. Alongside its responsibility in dealing with various other functions, the main purpose of the pancreas is to deal with blood sugar regulation and food digestion.

The pancreas provides the fluids that are passed through the intestines and assist with digesting food. If your body does not have these fluids, you might struggle to absorb the nutrients that you need to survive, or break down food the way you should. This organ is also essential for creating glucagon and insulin. These hormones are fundamentally responsible for maintaining good blood sugar levels.

Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis:

If you have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, or you know a loved one with this disease, then it is likely that you will want to learn as much as possible about life expectancies and prognoses for this disease. However, it's important to remember that the outlook for this form of cancer depends largely on the stage your cancer was in when it was recognized and diagnosed.

As with many different types of cancer, the more advanced and late stage types of pancreatic cancer are typically more likely to be fatal than the early stages, which generally have a better outlook in terms of treatment. Unfortunately, many forms of pancreatic cancer are difficult to detect before they have already begun to spread to other parts of the body.

Life Expectancy in Pancreatic Cancer:

Crucially, a prognosis is a prediction that is given from a careful evaluation of people who have been in a similar position to you regarding your form of pancreatic cancer. Depending on the specifics of your case, you may feel that your prognosis is either upsetting or comforting. Either way, it's important to discuss the details of your outlook with your doctor so that you can generate a deeper understanding of your specific case.

Most life expectancy outlooks are given in the form of a five-year rate of survival. In other words, you will be given a percentage which refers to the number of people who remained alive five years following their original diagnosis. Most survival rates are not considered beyond five years, but plenty of people do live beyond that time with the correct treatment. Importantly, the survival rates predicted for people with pancreatic cancer are often much better in those that choose to undergo treatment in the form of surgery. For instance:

  • At stage one, the five-year survival rate is 61%.
  • At stage two, the five-year survival rate is 52%.
  • At stage three, the five-year survival rate is 41%.
  • At stage four, the five-year survival rate is 16%.

It is worth remembering that the numbers that are given for prognoses in regards to pancreatic cancer can regularly be based on treatments and various technologies that have been used over the years, and thus might be outdated. Since treatments for these diseases are becoming more advanced by the year, the chances are that your prognosis might actually be a lot better than you think, particularly if you take part in treatments that use new innovations and solutions.