Newly Added Cancer Journeys Foundation Webpage is Dedicated to Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

Cancer Journeys Foundation has just added a new page to its Website that is dedicated to pancreatic cancer awareness. They have done this in part because November is national pancreatic cancer awareness month, but more importantly because pancreatic cancer is a silent killer that shows virtually no symptoms until it is advanced. Once advanced the 5-year pancreatic cancer survival rate is very low. This makes it very important for people with a family history of pancreatic cancer to work closely with their medical providers about obtaining screening tests. The new Cancer Journeys Foundation webpage that was mentioned-above can be seen here at https://cancerjourneysfoundation.org/pancreatic-cancer/.

"Pancreatic cancer is particularly insidious because it’s so difficult to detect, but there are some early warning signs that people should be aware of that can lead to early detection. I recommend people with a family history to review the early warning signs on our website and then contact their family medical provider." Cancer Journeys Foundation CEO Robert Hess said, “Like all cancers, the best defense against it is a healthy lifestyle and early detection."

The newly added webpage starts by talking about what are the few warning signs that those with pancreatic cancer may or may not experience. This includes such symptoms as abdominal pain, jaundice (yellow skin), and back pain. It says that people with pancreatic cancer may also develop diabetes, digestive issues, or experience weight loss. Other pancreatic cancer symptoms include excessive itching, light-colored stools, and overly dark urine. The webpage clearly states that those persons with a family history of pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis that experience the above symptoms should consult with their family physician or medical care provider right away. On the webpage, it was also brought up that pancreatic cancer rarely occurs before the age of 40 and over 50% of the cases occur in those that are 70-years or older. It went on to mention some risk factors associated with the disease include tobacco smoking, obesity, diabetes, and certain rare genetic conditions. A history of smoking is thought to be directly linked to over 25% of those who develop pancreatic cancer.

Also pointed out in the new webpage are the ways that pancreatic cancer is diagnosed and then treated. It once again mentioned how difficult pancreatic cancer is to detect in the early stages. One of the problems is that the pancreas is deeply embedded in the human body. According to the webpage, doctors find the most effective tests for diagnosing pancreatic cancer include CT scans, MRI’s, ultrasounds, tissue biopsies, and PET and blood tests. The new Cancer Journeys Foundation webpage even provides a link to a free pancreatic cancer risk assessment. On the webpage, it points out that the most common treatments for pancreatic cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, ablation & embolization, along with several other complementary therapies. At the bottom of the Cancer Journeys Foundation pancreatic cancer webpage are several informational links that are related to this disease. That includes links to some of the foremost experts on treating this illness such as the Mayo Clinic and other reputable authorities such as the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Another link will take a reader to an American Cancer Society webpage seen here at https://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html that talks more about pancreatic cancer and its survival rates.

The matter of all types of cancer awareness, not just pancreatic cancer, is a subject that is close to the heart of the foundation’s CEO. Hess is himself a cancer survivor. He and the other foundation founders have made it their mission to give cancer survivors the tools that they need to cope and help their fellow cancer journeyers who are following behind with their own treatments. The foundation states this is the best way they can help cancer survivors to thrive once the active support from their medical team stops. Both mental and physical issues remain even after treatment stops and this leaves survivors in a virtual no-man's-land. The foundation believes that sharing with others that have been through it often helps greatly during this period. Those that are experiencing their own journey with cancer and would like to find out how the Cancer Journeys Foundation can help them, will find all of that information on the foundation’s website.