Living Through It – Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rate
Before considering the pancreatic cancer survival rate, one also must consider a few unsettling facts.
First and foremost, pancreatic cancer is—according to most reliable statistical sources—the second leading cause of death in the world. And throughout the United States, this devastating disease is responsible for claiming a full one percent of the population.
Furthermore, according to American Cancer Society statistics, the average five-year pancreatic cancer survival rate is as low as four percent. And about 20 percent of pancreatic cancer patients will survive a single year.
This distressingly low pancreatic cancer survival rate can be attributed to the fact the pancreas is an isolated, well-concealed organ within the human body; therefore, it’s difficult for surgeons to discover and treat tumors that affect this part of the anatomy.
And even in instances when pancreatic resection can be performed, the average pancreatic cancer survival rate only elevates to an 18-to-20-month timeframe. And the overall five-year survival rate only hikes up to approximately 10 percent.
In those instances that the tumor can be totally removed and the cancer has not spread, a patient has a far higher survival rate and longer life expectancy.
Granted, these are pretty depressing rates; just know, however, that the pancreatic cancer survival rate is not cast in stone. Caught in its earliest stages, pancreatic cancer is treatable and curable. And while—as mentioned earlier—it is difficult to detect this type of cancer, it is certainly not impossible. So consult your doctor about cancer screenings and get them as soon and as frequently as possible, to ensure the continued quality and sanctity of your health.
Also make sure that you lead a healthful lifestyle at all times. Those who consume healthy diets, get plenty of exercise and avoid the indulgence of bad foods, drinks and substances stand a far better chance of avoiding cancer altogether. And if they do contract this dreaded disease in any of its forms, healthy people are much more likely to enjoy a higher survival rate.
If, heaven forbid, you are diagnosed with this devastating disease, then it would be in your best interest to fight it with every weapon available in one’s medical arsenal. Get second opinions, get the best doctors, treatments and medications available, devise a cancer-fighting diet and exercise plan with your doctor’s advisement; in short, fight for your life. In this way, you may single-handedly increase and enhance your own pancreatic cancer survival rate.