If you’ve been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, chances are you’re going to want to know the overall pancreatic cancer prognosis. What is a pancreatic cancer prognosis? A pancreatic cancer prognosis is an educated guess that determines how a disease is going to progress. It predicts how long a person is going to live as well as what their chances of reoccurrence are, should they full recover from the condition. Some of the most common factors that are considered with pancreatic cancer prognosis is include how far the disease has actually progressed and whether or not it can be ‘cured’ from surgical intervention.
So, what is the general pancreatic cancer prognosis for the average pancreatic sufferer? Unfortunately, the statistics aren’t very high, especially in comparison to other cancers. For example, in the United States, around 33,730 people become inflicted with pancreatic cancer. Of this number and astounding 32,300 will die from the disease. And even the 1,430 that do survive, the pancreatic cancer prognosis for life expectancy beyond five years ranges from 2.9 to only 5.6 percent. The worst pancreatic cancer prognosis was for black men, while white men and women had pancreatic cancer prognosis around or a little bit higher than 4 percent. Black women had the best pancreatic cancer prognosis at 5.6 percent.
The pancreatic cancer prognosis is better for individuals who have localized pancreatic cancer. This is when the tumors are limited to just the pancreas and haven’t spread to other areas of the body. The survival rate for this group was significantly higher at 16.4 percent. The next group that had a better pancreatic cancer prognosis included people who had cancer that spread, but only in smaller areas around the pancreas. Their rate of survival is 7 percent. The pancreatic cancer prognosis is the worst for victims whose cancer has spread widely. Their survival rate is only 1.8 percent.
What does this mean to the pancreatic cancer sufferer? Well, statistically, if you have pancreatic cancer you are more likely to die. However, don’t let this stop you from trying treatment, if you feel your body is strong enough to handle it. If not, you may want to do as some have done and accept the negative cancer prognosis. Individuals in this category try to just deal with the fact that their life is very limited. They make funeral arrangements while trying to find ways to enjoy whatever time they have left. When they get into the final stages of their illness, they may decide to stay at a hospice, which is a bit more welcoming and less sterile than the environment typical to most hospitals.
In conclusion, the average pancreatic cancer prognosis is not very good. However, it does tend to get better in certain conditions, which is why a person needs to go to the doctor if they have any inkling at all they could be suffering from the disease. They could be one of the people who undergo miraculous recoveries. If not, they at least can get intervention that will help them live their final days at peace.
