Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers that exists. Though it only accounts for about 3% of all cancers in the United States, pancreatic cancer stands as the third leading cause of cancer death. It is said that only about 8.5% of pancreatic cancer patients survive more than five years after diagnosis.
But why is this type of cancer highly deadly?
There are three reasons why pancreatic cancer is so life-threatening. Let’s dive a bit deeper into each of them.
Why Pancreatic Cancer Is So Lethal
1. It is hard to catch early on.
Most patients don’t show symptoms of pancreatic cancer when it's in its early stages. In fact, only about 10% of patients catch pancreatic cancer when it’s just in the pancreas. Typically, signs of this form of cancer don’t become evident until after the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body.
2. It is in a key area of the body.
The pancreas sits in an important part of the body with lots of blood vessels around it and key parts of the gut as well. This makes it very difficult to get to with surgery.
3. It has a high likelihood of spreading.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most likely cancers to metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body. Since pancreatic cancer is rarely caught in its early stages, by the time it’s discovered, it’s often spread to other parts of the body. This makes it nearly impossible to perform surgery, and patients are left to rely solely on chemotherapy.
Though this is all heavy information to digest, a recent finding has been made that provides great hope in the world of pancreatic cancer.
The Discovery: USP25
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in pancreatic cancer via the discovery of a protein known as USP25. This protein is responsible for feeding the fire of pancreatic cancer tumors.
Lab tests done on living mice and on human samples have shown that the use of medication that’s currently being developed to halt the activity of USP25 may be a way to starve pancreatic cancer cells of the oxygen and energy they need to survive.
This has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
The drug that’s in development would work to block the protein that recycles the body’s oxygen and energy. And pancreatic cancer needs that oxygen and energy in order to grow larger and spread to other parts of the body. With this USP25-blocking drug, pancreatic cancer cells would have a much harder time growing and spreading, which means the cancer would not be able to reach the lethal levels it currently exists at today.
This breakthrough isn’t just good news for pancreatic cancer, but also for other types of cancer that are referred to as “low-oxygen” tumors such as breast cancer. It opens up new doors of possibility for cancer treatments that have never existed before.
The discovery of USP25 is one of many ongoing discoveries that are being made in the scientific world that provide solutions to problems that once seemed unsolvable. Findings such as this are ones that Tony Robbins discusses in LIFE FORCE. This book empowers you to be the CEO of your own health and consider the tools and resources Tony shares in order to help you live a life that is healthy and full of vitality.
