Few people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but about 95 percent of those who suffer from this rare condition die from it, according to statistics.

The average survival rate for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is one to five years after diagnosis. Early detection improves survival. Those who are diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer have a five-year survival rate.

 

Studies show that pancreatic cancer spreads rapidly and is rarely detected early. Experts say that even a small tumor tends to spread aggressively and affect other organs. Cancer cells in pancreatic tumors can escape from the pancreas and travel to other parts of the body.

 

The extremely lethal condition affects about 30,000 people each year. In most cases, the condition has no symptoms, which puts pancreatic cancer on the list of under-diagnosed conditions because they can be easily missed. Statistics show that about 13 in every 100 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive one year after diagnosis. Only 3 out of every 100 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer live for at least 5 years after diagnosis. However, there are some individual factors that can determine the treatment and prognosis.

 

Smokers, heavy drinkers and those with a genetic predisposition to the conditions are affected the most. Other risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer include chronic pancreatitis and diabetes. Being overweight may also increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the United States after lung, colon and breast cancer.