Prevention for Pancreatic Cancer in Southern California

Although pancreatic cancer is a rare type of cancer, we believe prevention is still important. In the US, about three percent of all cancers are pancreatic. Experts can’t pinpoint the exact cause for pancreatic cancer, but we do know you can lower your risk with healthy lifestyle choices.

At Dignity Health Southern California hospitals, our doctors and staff want to protect your well-being by stopping cancer before it starts. Find a Doctor today who can help with pancreatic cancer prevention in Southern California. We offer an expertise with many aspects of cancer care and prevention.

What Causes Pancreatic Cancer?

Why someone develops the disease is not known with certainty. Certain characteristics, such as smoking and diabetes, increases someone’s chances of getting pancreatic cancer. Other risk factors include:

  • Male gender, men are thirty percent more likely to develop the disease
  • African-American race
  • Age, most cases of pancreatic cancer occur in people older than 60
  • Family history of pancreatic cancer
  • Genetics, roughly 10 percent of pancreatic cancers are related to gene mutations BRCA2, p16/CDKN2A, and PRSS1
  • Liver cirrhosis
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic pancreatitis
  • Certain stomach conditions

Preventing Pancreatic Cancer with Dignity Health Southern California

There are no exact preventative methods for pancreatic cancer. Changing your diet and adopting healthy lifestyle choices decreases your risk. Other ways to lower your chances are:

  • Quitting smoking and tobacco use.
  • Limiting alcohol consumption. Heavy drinking (more than two drinks for a man and one for a woman) increases the risk of cirrhosis or liver damage, which is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.
  • Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
  • Treating medical conditions, including stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal conditions.

Cancer screening tests don’t typically detect pancreatic cancer early, so making personal changes is one of the best ways to prevent the disease.

If you are concerned about your risk for pancreatic cancer, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors to discuss personalized preventive methods, including help with weight loss.

Dignity Health Southern California offers expert advice for preventing pancreatic cancer in Southern California.