Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is an increasingly aggressive and metastatic, malignancy that has increasingly moved forward as one of the leading causes of cancer mortalities in the United States and worldwide. Being that pancreatic cancer is typically not diagnosed until late stages of its progression, due to its minor or complete lack of symptoms, many who are cursed with such a cancer, are not likely seen to survive. With a low prognosis for its survival rate of 1-5 years after being diagnosed, pancreatic cancer is expected to become the second leading cause of cancer mortalities in the United States, and the 7th leading cause of cancer mortality globally. The likelihood of a person being ailed with pancreatic cancer is increased with age, gender, obesity, and the use of tobacco. As this malignancy continues to grow as a threat in the cancer community, scientists are becoming more eager to discover better methods of diagnosing pancreatic cancer at earlier rates to prevent it from metastasizing and attacking the body. The question stumping researchers and physicians is why pancreatic cancer is so difficult to diagnosis and treat; the articles being discussed in this microreview touch on the epidemiology of pancreatic cancer and studying of more efficient and lasting methods of diagnostics and treatment, as well as prevention.