"Understanding Pancreatic Cancer." A great title for the "Guide for Patients and Caregivers" provided to my father from his surgeon upon diagnosis.
Does anyone understand this silent killer yet? It is the 4th largest killer among cancer deaths in the United States, yet it is the hardest cancer to diagnose. By the time you are diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, it is usually too late. Only 7% of those diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer are operable (not cured, just operable.) The other 93% are left to survive the "chemo brain" population. When I say "chemo brain," I am not describing the mental cloudiness that can take over your brain during and after chemotherapy. I am describing the chemo-brains who cannot develop a better drug than Gemcitabine after 13+ years, leaving the Pancreatic Cancer patients helpless and confused by the dozens of combinations of drugs mixed with Gemcitabine that provide, at most, poor results (see chart: http://www.scribd.com/doc/26723877.) The inoperable Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer patient survives, on average, 3-6 months.
When I ask the question "does anyone understand this silent killer yet?," I am also asking ... what causes Pancreatic Cancer? I learned two interesting facts from the guidebook provided by the Surgeon. One was that exposure to chemicals related to petroleum may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. The second is that people who develop diabetes over age 50 have eight times the risk of getting Pancreatic Cancer. These two facts may not seem related, but it got me researching.
Although my father did not have diabetes upon diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer, he was DEFINITELY around such chemicals: EPOXY, TOLUENE, LACQUER THINNER, and finally, CYANOACRYLATE GLUE. My father has been building model airplanes for well over 46 years, in an unventilated basement. I am not talking 2 hours per week. My father will work on his planes 8 hours straight on just a Saturday alone. My mom remembers coming home from work to a stench, that in hindsight, was probably cancerous.
EPOXY resins alone are a type of polymerizing glue from bisphenol A, epichlorohydrin, and some amine. Bisphenol A is a petroleum compound that is an endocrine inhibitor. Now, I am not a scientist, but I can perform research. My research is leading me to learn that Bisphenol A may contribute to exacerbate the development of type II diabetes.... interesting... Who Knew?
