Healthy Colorado: Doctor shares symptoms and treatment options for pancreatic cancer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Pancreatic cancer is hard to find early, which is why we are bringing attention to it on this World Pancreatic Cancer Day for KRDO13's Healthy Colorado segment.

The pancreas is deep inside the body, so early tumors can't be seen or felt by healthcare providers during routine physical exams. According to the National Cancer Institute, pancreatic cancer has a 13.3% relative 5-year survival rate, which is one of the lowest survival rates among all major cancers.

In 2025 alone, it's estimated that nearly 52,000 people will die in the United States from this type of cancer, which is more than from breast cancer.

Multi-agent chemo is an option, but doctors say a vaccine trial shows encouraging results for this sneaky cancer that's challenging to prevent and treat. Clinical trials and new drugs show promise with genetic targeting for people who may be at an increased risk.

"It's not like we don't ever have success stories; it's that the rate of long-term success is much lower in pancreatic cancer compared to really any other cancer," says Dr. Jason Henry, associate director of drug development at Sarah Cannon HCA HealthOne. "It is an exciting time. I think pancreatic cancer progress has largely been dead for the last 30 years until really these last five, where we are seeing really phenomenal results in early phase clinical trials, and I think we can expect to be FDA approved in the next couple of years."

Doctors say risk factors include age, family history, alcohol use, and recent diabetes diagnosis. While they say early symptoms are hard to detect, watch out for weight loss, abdominal pain, heartburn and painless jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).

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