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• risk factors for pancreatic cancer

  chronic inflammation of pancreas (pancreatitis), obesity, smoking, old age, diabetes, family history of pc, mutations in BRCA1 and 2 genes
• 4 different classifications that are used for diagnoses for treatment purposes of pancreatic cancer

  resectable pancreatic tumors, borderline resectable tumors, locally advanced tumors, metastatic tumors
• what happens during the digestive tract at the stomach

  when your stomach breaks down food it passes to the small intestine
• Whipple procedure

  removal of organs (pancreas and duodenum) which are then reconstructed and put back into the body to be better equipped against cancer
• BRCA 1 and BRCA 2

  mutations that can promote pancreatic cancer
• Common symptoms of pancreatic cancer

  diabetes, abdominal and lower back pain, jaundice, changes in urine color
• treatment for pancreatic cancder

  olaparib: PARP inhibitor (if mutations in BRCA 1 and/or BRCA 2), combination therapy FOLIRINOX (multiple chemo drugs working together)
• why a tumor at the head of the pancreas can cause jaundice

  anatomical location, its right by bile duct so if a tumor is blocking that it can cause jaundice
• risk factors for colorectal cancer

  over 50, obesity, inactivity, increased consumption of processed or red meat, increase in diets high in fat, decrease in fruits and veggies, decrease in fiber
• polyp

  growths that extend from the surface of the large intestine, most are benign but some can become malignant
• How colorectal cancer is detected & at what age

  screening age has decreased to 45, fecal immunochemical test every year, stool DNA test every 3 years, CT or sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, colonoscopy every 10 years
• fecal occult blood test

  detects blood in stools from a polyp
• Colonoscopy

  should have one every 10 years, sent home with "prep kit" that cleans out colon, long flexible rod to image/take samples from the colon, rod is about 6 ft long
• tumor markers for colorectal cancer

  look for biomarkers CEA and CA 19-9, if they are high can suggest colorectal cancer
• how colorectal cancer is treated

  surgery (if cancer is contained) polypectomy: cutting out polyps, colectomy: removal of a piece of colon and resealed
• Colostomy

  If can't reseal (area of colon removed was too large to reseal) a bag will be inserted to catch fecal matter
• resectable pancreatic tumors

  tumors that often have not made their way to the circulatory system or lymphatics and will likely be able to be successfully surgically removed
• locally advanced tumors

  have involvement of the circulatory system and/or lymphatic system that has high involvement of other organs before treatment; Surgery is often not an option
• metastatic tumors

  have spread throughout the body and cancer cells are detected in distant organs
• borderline resectable tumors

  tumors that have moved into the circulatory system and/or lymphatics and involvement of other structures but may be operable and have success with surgery
• common symptoms of pancreatic cancer

  diabetes, jaundice, abdominal and lower back pain, changes in urine color
• bile

  is released from liver and gall bladder into small intestine, acts as detergent to emulsify fat (increases surface area for enzymes)
• small intestine

  primary site for chemical digestion, absorption of nutrients, large surface area for absorption with numerous folds with villi (finger-like projections)
• pancreas

  releases sodium bicarbonate and neutralizes the chyme; exocrine gland releases enzymes such as amylase lipase, proteases, nucleases which breakdown food molecules to monomers for absorption; location of insulin production; head is by the small intestine and the tail is by the spleen
• type one diabetes

  any age; caused by the immune system destroying beta cells that secrete insulin in pancreas, eventually eliminating insulin production from the body, people with little to no insulin cannot transport glucose to cells/cells cant absorb
• type two diabetes

  any age but most common in people over 40, the body isn't able to use insulin the right way (insulin resistance), cells are no longer sensitive to insulin and cannot take sugar, as it gets worse, the pancreas may make less and less insulin (insulin deficiency)
• stages I, II, and III of pancreatic cancer

  tumor has formed at the pancreas
• stage II & III of pancreatic cancer

  tumors may have regional spread to lymph nodes
• stage IV pancreatic cancer

  metastases are detected at distant organs (e.g. liver)
• sections of large intestine

  cecum, colon, rectum:
• digestive system

  ingestion (food in mouth), to pharynx, esophagus, stomach, pyloric sphincter, small intestine, large intestine, appendix, colon, rectum anus
• if colorectal cancer is already spread:

  chemo: 5-fluorouracil that replaces uracil in RNA, targeted therapies: cetuximab, bevacizumab, ipilimumab
• functions of large intestine sections


  cecum: absorbs fluids and salts, colon: absorbs water through osmosis, rectum: collects solidified matter and releases through anus