Introduction
Gastro-Intestinal cancer is a collective term for a group of cancers which attack the digestive system (Ireland, 2012). They include cancers of liver, gallbladder, esophagus, small intestine, pancreas, and stomach. The survival rates of these cancers are lower compared to other well-known types of cancers. For this assignment, I will focus on cancer of the pancreas sometimes called pancreatic cancer.
Cancer of the pancreas or pancreatic cancer occurs when the pancreatic cells grow out of control (Silverstein et al. 1994). Then, these out of control cells spread the nearby organs (lungs and liver) and lymph nodes. Cells become metastatic when they spread to the nearby organs.
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Cancer at the Cellular Level
Pancreatic cancer is a disease of uncontrolled proliferation and growth of cells in the pancreas (Singh & Tomar, 2008). The cellular level of this disease involves a multi-stage process based on the accumulation of numerous cancerous cells over time. Cells tend to acquire the mutations, which later begin to proliferate, spread and multiply. This is the cellular level of pancreatic cancer.
How Pancreatic Cancer Progresses and its Impact on a Patient’s Life
Pancreatic cancer develops, spreads and progresses much more slowly than other cancers. The process makes more difficult to detect in its early stages because of the few symptoms. The stages of pancreatic cancer define how advanced the cancer is in the body. Moreover, these stages are crucial when deciding on the best interventions. It is often impossible to tell how far it has progressed or spread unless a surgery is conducted and the staging system helps in determining the progress of pancreatic cancer.
Resectable is the earliest stage of pancreatic cancer (Singh & Tomar, 2008). At this stage, it is possible to remove the entire tumor through surgery. These tumors either are located in the pancreas or may be spread in the veins or arteries. It is impossible to detect whether they have spread to areas near the pancreas.
The second stage is the borderline unresectable or locally advanced stage where tumors cannot be removed through surgery since it has already spread to other critical areas such as the veins, arteries, and nearby organs. However, surgery can be done only to relieve the problems and symptoms of cancer.
The third stage is metastatic/resectable. At this point, the cancer has gone past the pancreas and attacked other areas such as the liver. Just as the previous stage, surgery can only be conducted to relieve the symptoms and other related complications such as blocked intestinal tract (Van De et al. 2001).
The final stage is the relapsed or relapsed phase. At this point, the cancerous cells have re-grown or returned after the treatment with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. It may recur in the pancreas or any other area.
How Cancer disrupts Homeostasis
The pancreas is part of the system of tissues and organs which allow the human body to breathe and function normally. They do this role by taking in food, liquids, and air and eliminating waste. When a person has pancreatic cancer, malignant cells establish a cancerous tumor within the pancreas. Then, these cancerous cells damage and destroy the pancreatic tissues (Van De et al. 2001). This begins to disturb the homeostasis in the sense that the cancer cells divide and start competing for food and air. In the end, they start to compete actively with the normal body cells for oxygen and food. As a result, the normal body cells may starve to death (Brooks, 2007).
Comparison of Available Therapies
Available therapies for pancreatic cancer include radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy refers to the use of high energy x-rays to kill cancerous cells in the pancreas (Lippincott & Wilkins 2002). A radiation oncologist administers the therapy. The most widely used kind of radiation therapy is known as the external beam therapy, which involves giving patient radiation through a machine outside the body. It is a widely used type of radiation in pancreatic cancer. Usually, a radiation therapy regimen contains a particular number of treatments administered over a specified duration. (Lippincott & Wilkins 2002).
Radiation therapy is administered in two major ways with the first one being the standard or conventional fraction radiation therapy. The treatment comprises small doses of radiation given daily for up to six weeks. Stereotactic body radiation (SBRT) is the second method, and it involves giving radiation in higher doses for five days (Rogers et al. 2011). This is the most recent method of administering radiation, which can give more localized treatments. Moreover, it needs only a few number of treatment sessions. However, this method is only available in specialized centers, and it is only administered by experts who have enough experience in using the technology for pancreatic cancer. Radiation therapy is appropriate for reducing the chances of pancreatic cancer recurring.
With chemotherapy, drugs help in destroying the cancerous cells by stopping the cells from growing and dividing (Lippincott & Wilkins 2002). A medical oncologist administers systematic chemotherapy, which penetrates into the blood system to reach the cancer cells across the body. The most widely used methods of administering chemotherapy are the intravenous (IV) tube. The medical oncologist places the IV tube into a vein using a needle, or a capsule or pill swallowed orally.
Normally, chemotherapy is administered together with radiation therapy to improve the effects of the radiation therapy in a process known as radiosensitization. Mixing radiation therapy and chemotherapy helps shrink the tumor such that surgery can easily remove it (Lippincott & Wilkins 2002). However, when combining the two, the doses must be lower than when each is administered alone.
Prevention and Lifestyle Choices
Anyone is at risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Various lifestyle factors contribute to this disease. Smoking is the leading controllable risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Smokers are twice as expected to develop pancreatic cancer than the non-smokers. However, the reverse applies. Research has also identified inactivity and obesity as potential risk factors for pancreatic cancer (Silverstein et al. 1994). Individuals who engage in regular exercises are at less risk for this disease unlike those who live a sedentary lifestyle.
Stopping smoking is the number one way of preventing this disease. However, other lifestyle choices can help people reduce their chances of developing pancreatic cancer (Van De et al. 2001). For the smokers, they should quit immediately. They can talk to their doctors about available strategies to help them quit smoking. Examples of these strategies include medications, nicotine replacement therapy, and support groups. Those who do not smoke should never start it. Also, another preventative measure is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It may include combining a healthy diet with regular physical exercises. Also, eating healthy is recommended. A complete diet full of vegetables, whole grains and fruits can help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Conclusion
Pancreatic cancer is also known as cancer of the pancreas is a common gastrointestinal tumor. It occurs when the pancreatic cells grow out of control, which spread the nearby organs (lungs and liver) and lymph nodes. The cancer has a lower survival rate because it is difficult to detect it, especially in the early stages of development. Therefore, it is important to follow preventative measures, such as making healthy lifestyle choices aimed at reducing the occurrence of this cancer.
References
Brooks, A. (2007). Systems of our body. Delhi: Global Media.
Ireland, K. A. (2012). Visualizing human biology (4th ed.). Danvers, MA: Wiley.
Lippincott W. & Wilkins (2002). Lippincott professional guides: Anatomy & Physiology (second ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Author.
Rogers, K. M. A., Scott, W. N, Warner, S., & Willis, B. (2011). Paramedics! Test yourself in anatomy and physiology. Maidenhead, GBR: Open University Press.
Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V. B., & Silverstein, R. A. (1994). The digestive system . New York, NY: Twenty-First Century Books.
Singh, S. P., & Tomar, B. S. (2008). Cell biology . Meerut, IND: Global Media.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/
Van De Graaff, K. M., & Rhees R. W. (2001). Human anatomy and physiology . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
