Beware Of Pancreas Cancer, Silent Killer Who Takes Rizal Ramli's Life

Pancreatic cancer is one of the silent killer due to its high mortality rate, reaching 90 percent. (Pixabay)

JAKARTA Early 2024 sad news came from Rizal Ramli. The former Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment died on Tuesday (2/1/2024) night at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital due to pancreatic cancer.

The man who was born in Padang, West Sumatra, has suffered from late stage pancreatic cancer and has been hospitalized for the past two months. The news of Rizal Ramli's death from pancreatic cancer made the public wonder why this disease was not detected in the first place?

Quoting Mayo Clinic, pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that begins with the growth of cells in the pancreas. Generally, pancreatic cancer appears asymptomatic, so it is often referred to as a silent killer.

Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI) Prof. Ari Fahrial Syam said the importance of educating the public that pancreatic cancer is a disease that looks asymptomatic in the early stages. Prof. Ari said, the majority of patients did not feel symptoms at the beginning of tumor development until the disease developed more severely.

Because there were no symptoms as an initial warning, many pancreatic cancer patients who had examined themselves with doctors were already seriously ill.

"That's why, in the first year 90 percent of cases of pancreatic cancer died. They generally come late," said Prof. Ari in a webinar on Knowing Pancreas Cancer held by the Executive Board of the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB IDI).

According to the 2020 Survey, Epidemiology, and End Result Program (SEER) in the United States, there were 57,600 new cases and 90 percent or around 47,050 died. Meanwhile, according to Globocan 2020 data, the number of new cases of pancreatic cancer in Indonesia reached 5,781 with a death toll of 5,690 people.

As mentioned earlier, pancreatic cancer does not have specific symptoms, especially in the early stages. However, Prof. Ari explained that there are several symptoms that can be associated with pancreatic cancer. Some of the symptoms that need to be watched out for include heart pain, digestive disorders such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and decreased appetite.

Unfortunately, according to Prof. Ari, when the patient felt the series of symptoms, it was too late and it was more difficult to treat pancreatic cancer. He also highlighted complaints of heart pain which were often underestimated, because it was considered a symptom of stomach disease.

"Don't underestimate heart pain, maybe, even though it's unlikely, this is related to the pancreatic cancer process," explained Prof. Ari.

Heart pain can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer because the pancreas is located in the middle of the solar plexus area. When the performance of the pancreas experiences disorders, such as the growth of a clogging tumor, pain will appear in the area.

Even though it is one of the killer satellites, pancreatic cancer can actually be prevented. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one way to prevent various diseases, including pancreatic cancer. However, according to Prof. Ari's unhealthy lifestyle seems to be a trend for young adults, such as by smoking, consuming alcohol, and consuming high-fat foods.

"Frankly, this sedentary lifestyle or unhealthy lifestyle seems to be a trend. Young people eat high in fat such as'steak', drink regularly alcohol, and smoke into culture, then obesity and often unconscious. It risks developing pancreatic cancer,' Prof. Ari explained.

Individuals aged 55 years and over are said to have greater potential for pancreatic cancer, but the development of lifestyles such as a fine lifestyle makes the potential for young adults in their 30s to develop pancreatic cancer.

Trends in consuming red meat like sataak, which is popular among young adults, are also in the spotlight of Prof. Ari. Not without reason, according to him, consuming red meat too often can cause digestive organs to work harder in digesting the meat consumed. In the end, the pancreas works harder in producing enzymes to help digestion.

Because it has a vital function as an enzyme producer for digestion, when a person consumes food or drinks that are malnourished and only strengthens the performance of the pancreas, slow seas will have health problems, one of which is the potential for cancer.

Logically, this high-fat food, such as red meat, makes the performance of the organs of the body heavier, when they see the function of the pancreas creating enzymes. This red meat is difficult to digest completely so that it finally sticks, gradually becomes chronic inflammation that causes polyp, and has long become cancer, "concluded Prof. Ari.