Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, accounting for approximately 30,000 deaths each year (Michaud DS 2004). Worldwide, more than 200,000 people die from this cancer each year.

Little is known about the causes of pancreatic cancer. The disease is difficult to diagnose in its early stages, as it presents few symptoms and there are few tests to screen for it. As a result, most patients have incurable disease by the time they are diagnosed. Fewer than 5 percent of pancreatic cancer patients survive five years beyond diagnosis of the disease. Surgery is the only hope for cure; however, due to the aggressive nature of pancreatic tumors, only 5 percent to 20 percent of patients are candidates for surgery (Cleary SP et al. 2004). Chemotherapy and radiation therapy produce only minor increases in survival rates. Conventional medicine's inability to treat pancreatic cancer effectively is illustrated by the fact that more than 90 percent of patients die within 12 months of diagnosis. Along with lifestyle changes and nutritional approaches, novel therapeutic strategies are needed for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

About the Pancreas

The pancreas is a pear-shaped gland located across the back of the belly, behind the stomach. It comprises the exocrine pancreas, which produces pancreatic enzymes that help break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and the endocrine pancreas, which produces hormones such as insulin and glucagon that regulate how the body stores and uses food.