When Steve Jobs notified Apple Computer employees Sunday about his surgery for pancreatic cancer, he pointed out that his cancer — an islet-cell neuroendocrine tumor — is rarer but also far more curable than other forms of the disease. USA TODAY'sLiz Szabo asked experts to explain why Jobs has a good shot at recovery.
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Q: What is the pancreas?
A: It's a gland located behind the stomach that has two vital functions: secreting juices that aid digestion, and making hormones, such as insulin, that help regulate blood sugar.
Q: What type of tumor does Jobs have?
A: There are several kinds of pancreatic cancer. His tumor reportedly is one of five types that begin in hormone-producing cells.
These types of tumors tend to be slow-growing, says pancreatic cancer specialist Margaret Tempero, deputy director of the University of California-San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Q: How does an islet-cell tumor differ from other kinds of pancreatic cancer?
A: About 85% of pancreatic cancers are adenocarcinomas. They grow quickly and are far more deadly than the type of tumor that Jobs had.
Q: How common is pancreatic cancer?
A: According to the American Cancer Society, 31,860 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004. Islet-cell cancers are very rare, however, with only 200 to 1,000 new cases a year, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Q: How deadly is pancreatic cancer?
A: Islet-cell cancers that have not spread beyond the pancreas are often curable, Tempero says.
In general, however, only 4.4% of pancreatic cancer patients survive five years or more, according to the cancer society, which estimates that 31,270 Americans will die from it this year. Although pancreatic cancer is not as common as other tumors, its deadliness makes it the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in the USA. In comparison, doctors diagnose 220,000 cases of prostate cancer a year, and 28,900 men die from it.
Q: How are islet-cell cancers treated?
A: If cancer is confined to the pancreas, doctors may operate to remove the tumor. Often, no other treatment is needed.
Q: Does this treatment have side effects?
A: In the long term, surgery may increase the risk of diabetes, depending on how much of the pancreas is removed.
Q: Are there risk factors for pancreatic cancer? Can it be prevented?
A: Doctors don't know what causes most cases of pancreatic cancer, although heavy smoking increases the risk by two to three times. Diets filled with meat and fat also may contribute to the disease. Those at greater risk include men, African-Americans, people older than 50, diabetics and those with a family history of pancreatic cancer. Chronic inflammation of the pancreas and exposure to certain chemicals also can cause the disease.
Exercising, avoiding tobacco and eating a low-fat, vegetable-rich diet may offer some protection.
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