Understanding The Stages of Pancreatic Cancer

Understanding The Stages of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer, also known as exocrine cancer, is a disease where malignant (cancer) cells appear in the tissues of the pancreas.
Uncontrolled multiplication of cells in the pancreas leads to pancreatic cancer. Explanations as to how one develops pancreatic cancer remain unexplained. But, it is not contagious. Over 29,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with the pancreatic cancer every year. Pancreatic cancer is treatable when caught early; but vast majority of cases are not diagnosed until too late. Five-year survival rates show 40 percent survival if the cancers are surgically removed while they have not grown in size and spread to the lymph nodes. What is stage IV cancer of the pancreas survival rate?
General research show that patients diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer survive within a median of 6.8 months to a year upon diagnosis.

Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis

Its Still Vaccination Against Germs,Not Cancer

The pharma huge marketing effort to promote vaccination against cancers have gotten parallel response from the governments and private health institutions.Hence,vaccines against Cervical cancers are available ubiquitously even in the economically weak third world countries.One may question the real value of this preventive measure as compared to the cheaper alternative like circumcision of the partners and living a healthy sexual lifestyle.
The idea of vaccinating against the development of cancer per se has been around for quite some time.The difference between vaccinating against a germ as compared to cancer is that of "clonality".
The germ's antigen/protein against which the antibodies are generated in the process of vaccination is usually homogeneous in nature ie.their structure are usually of one type.On the contrary,there are so many antigens/proteins that make up cancer cells ie they are polyclonal.Vaccination in this situation is extremely difficult.It is much easier in this situation to generate antibodies in vitro and then infuse these antibodies back into the patients as part of systemic treatment of an establish cancer patients.The latter is called Cellular Therapy of cancers.
However,the novel idea of primarily vaccinating against cancer is worth pursuing.
in reference to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8714085.stm (view on Google Sidewiki)