Cancer

I`m going to write about Pancreatic Cancer today because although it rates amongst the biggest killers I feel it has the least publicity. Others are fairly detectable, there are routine scans or tests offered so are found in the early stages, especially cancers that affect women. They are also treatable in that survival rates are increasing all the time.

The early symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer are very vague and whilst the tumour is confined to the pancreas itself nothing shows up in the routine liver function blood test given for pain and digestive problems in the abdominal area.

It is only when symptoms become severe and IF the GP repeats the blood test and/or sends the patient for an Ultra Sound scan that abnormalities are found. However these abnormalities show up in the liver which means the cancer has by now spread and once in the liver it very quickly invades most of the major organs.

It is the CT scan that eventually shows the tumour in the pancreas followed by biopsies to confirm. By this time however in all but 4% of patients it`s too late. Chemotherapy may add a few months to someones life but unless the patient is one of the 4% the failing internal organs mean little quality of life as food eaten is not digested leading to dramatic weightloss and the toxins from the failing liver poison the brain, not forgetting the intense pain despite increasingly larger doses of morphine.

A fair amount of research has and continues to be done into treatments to prolong life but I feel this is like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Even the most competent GP is hardly going to send a patient for a CT scan in those early stages before other avenues have been investigated and as I said those other avenues are only going to show problems once it`s too late. Basically researchers have to find a way of detecting the tumour before the cancer spreads, a routine test that can be carried out quickly and cheaply (alas).

Our GP could probably not have saved Cliffs life but he refused an Ultra Sound during the couple of months we begged for one despite Cliffs very obvious failing health and pain. Cliff had to collapse before he was taken to hospital and tests undertaken, two months of suffering that could have been avoided.

My GP surgery keep suggesting that perhaps I`d feel more comfortable signing up with another surgery as it would be less upsetting. Yes, sitting in that waiting room makes my eyes water, I`ve a different doctor but every time the gp in question calls in a patient I make sure he looks me in the eye. Revenge, maybe, but Cliff asked me to make sure he didn`t do the same to someone else, so I`m there as a constant reminder to him, I may have to sit and gulp back tears but I`m going nowhere!