How to prevent pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the common malignant tumors of the digestive tract. As the pancreas is located deep in the posterior abdominal cavity, early symptoms lack specificity and are difficult to diagnose. When diagnosed, the disease is usually in the late stage and the prognosis is poor. With the continuous improvement of the living standards of the Chinese people, the dietary structure has changed to high fat, high protein and low fibrosis, the environmental pollution brought about by industrialization and the increase in people's work and life pressure, the incidence of pancreatic cancer has also increased.

Pancreatic cancer is more common in men, 2 to 4 times more common than in women. The peak age is around 40 years old, and the cause of the disease is still not fully understood. Studies have shown that pancreatic cancer is closely related to lifestyle. The incidence of pancreatic cancer in people who smoke, drink excessively, eat a high-fat and high-protein diet, and have diabetes is significantly higher than that in other groups. People with high work pressure, irregular lifestyle, and frequent social activities also have a higher incidence of pancreatic cancer.

To prevent pancreatic cancer, we must eliminate and stay away from these risk factors and change bad living habits.

Smoking is one of the most dangerous factors for pancreatic cancer. The incidence of pancreatic cancer in smokers is 2-3 times higher than that in non-smokers.

Another important risk factor for pancreatic cancer is an irrational diet. People who eat a high-fat, high-protein, low-fiber diet are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. Eating too much fat leads to fat metabolism disorders, increased cholesterol and free fatty acids in the blood, which can inhibit the body's immune function; a high-fat, high-protein diet increases bile secretion, and bile salts and fatty acids in the bile can form carcinogens under the action of anaerobic bacteria in the intestines, inducing pancreatic cancer.

Alcohol abuse is another important risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Alcohol is toxic to pancreatic cells and can easily cause local cells to become malignant. At the same time, alcohol abuse affects the liver's detoxification function and also increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Certain underlying diseases can easily induce or directly lead to the occurrence of pancreatic cancer, including diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, gallstones, gastric ulcers, atypical hyperplasia of the pancreatic ductal epithelium, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, etc. Studies have shown that 60%-80% of pancreatic cancer patients have diabetes.

The diet should be reasonably matched, and high-fat, high-oil, and high-salt foods should be eaten as little as possible. Cereals, beans, sweet potatoes and other coarse grains should be the main part of the diet. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits every day to increase the intake of fiber, carotene, vitamin E and necessary minerals. Use cooking methods such as boiling, simmering, steaming, sautéing, and blanching more often, and do not use methods such as frying and stir-frying. Do not be partial to one thing, avoid overeating, and stop smoking. Participating in appropriate physical activities and avoiding overweight and obesity can help reduce the incidence of pancreatic cancer. Physical activities include running, walking, swimming, playing ball, dancing, climbing stairs, cleaning the room, etc.

Some basic diseases that easily induce or directly lead to pancreatic cancer should be actively and effectively controlled. Dangerous precancerous lesions, such as pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous tumors, should be surgically removed promptly after diagnosis.

High-risk groups should be vigilant. Some people are busy with work, have many social activities, often eat a high-fat, high-protein, low-fiber diet, have an irregular life for a long time, smoke a lot, drink a lot, and are under a state of psychological stress for a long time. These people should undergo a cancer screening every year, including serum tumor marker detection (such as serum CA-199, CEA, etc.), abdominal B-ultrasound and (or) CT, etc. Usually, you need to be particularly vigilant about the early symptoms of pancreatic cancer, such as upper abdominal discomfort and pain, indigestion, nausea, changes in bowel habits, progressive weight loss, jaundice, etc. Once discovered, you should go to the hospital for examination in time for early diagnosis and early treatment. At present, the diagnostic methods for pancreatic cancer include imaging diagnosis (such as B-ultrasound, CT, nuclear magnetic resonance, endoscopic ultrasound, etc.) and tumor marker detection (such as serum CA199, CEA, etc.), among which spiral CT is recognized as a more sensitive imaging diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer.