Bobby died of pancreatic cancer at a young age. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include family history, older age, smoking, obesity, diabetes, and diets high in red meat and sugar-sweetened drinks. Symptoms are often vague but may include abdominal or back pain, weight loss, jaundice, blood clots, and elevated blood sugar. While family history poses some risk, maintaining a healthy weight, eating more plants and less red meat, quitting smoking, and adequate vitamin intake may help prevent pancreatic cancer. Had Bobby adopted a healthier lifestyle and quit smoking, he could have reduced his cancer risk and potentially lived a longer life.

1. Unit 6- Cancer and CVD
• Meet Bobby……He died of Pancreatic Cancer
at a young age.
• What are the risk factors?
• How could he have prevented his outcome?

2. Risk Factors
• There is a 5-10% chance that there is a family history of pancreatic
cancer. At this time no specific genes have been identified.
• Most cases before age 40 are uncommon. The common age is
approximately 60 yrs of age and after.
• Diets low in fruits and veggies, high in red meat, high in sugar-sweetened
drinks, particularly fructose in crease risk.
• Smoking-Cigarette smoke also has a risk ration and is dependent upon
length of time and/or type of smoking (non-smoking to heavy smoking).
• Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus also play a factor. New studies indicate
obese and over weight young adults are at a greater risk for pancreatic
cancer.

3. Warning Signs and Symptoms
• Referred to as the “Silent Killer”-Not often diagnosed until it is in
advanced stages.
• Pain in the upper abdomen, typically radiates to the back.
• Loss of appetite, Nausea and/or vomiting.
• Significant weight loss.
• Painless jaundice-yellowing of skin.
• Spontaneous blood clots-Trousseau Sign
• Diabetes Mellitus-Elevated Blood Sugar Levels
• Clinical Depression-Can present before cancer is diagnosed
• Typically pancreatic cancer metastasizes to regional lymph nodes, later to
the liver and less common the lungs. Occasionally the bones or brain.

4. Prevention
• According to the American Cancer Society there are no established
guidelines for preventing pancreatic cancer. Although cigarette smoking
has been reported as responsible for 20-30% of pancreatic cancers.
• To help prevent the disease a person should keep a healthy
weight, increase consumption of fruit and vegetables. Decrease intake of
red meat.
• Consume vitamins in food, such as vitamin D, B12, B6 and folate. These
help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.
• Had he managed his diet better he could have reduced his risk of getting
the disease.
• He also could have cut out the cigarette smoking he’d been doing since
the age of 16.

5. Where He’d Be Today?
• Had Bobby cut out the smoking he’d been doing for so long he
would have decreased the risk of getting pancreatic cancer by
as least 20%.
• He could be playing baseball or football. He could be a father
or husband at this time. However, because the lifestyle he
chose was less than appealing and he has family history of this
cancer, it seemed like only a matter of time.