Every November, “Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month” is commemorated, an opportunity to educate, raise awareness and support research into a disease that remains one of the most difficult to detect and treat early.
A worrying panorama. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2025 there are estimated to be around 67,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer in the United States and more than 51,000 deaths from this cause. Currently, it is the third leading cause of death from cancer, and it is expected to be the second by 2030.
It should be noted that the 5-year survival rate is only 13%, because most cases are detected in advanced stages. However, if diagnosed early—when the cancer is located in the pancreas—the survival rate can increase up to 43%, highlights the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County (CCE Suffolk) in its recent newsletter and community resources.
Why does it affect the Latino community so much?
The Hispanic community in the United States faces significant barriers in access to health care, early detection, and preventive health education. Studies show that Latinos are more likely to be diagnosed in advanced stages and with less access to specialized treatments.
Factors such as lack of health insurance, language, fear or ignorance of the health system, and common diseases such as type 2 diabetes or obesity, increase the risk in our community of New York and Long Island.
Risk factors and prevention
Some factors cannot be changed, such as age or family history. But we can reduce risks with the following healthy habits:
– Avoid smoking.
– Maintain a healthy weight.
– Control diabetes.
– Limit the consumption of alcohol and ultra-processed foods.
– Consult your doctor if you have persistent symptoms: unexplained weight loss, abdominal or back pain, yellowing of the skin or extreme fatigue.
«Pancreatic cancer is a silent disease, but together we can break that silence. Informing ourselves, sharing data, supporting research and taking care of our health are essential steps to protect ourselves and save lives,” they indicate from CCE Suffolk. “This November, let’s raise our voices in our Latino communities for health, hope and the future,” they emphasize.
Early detection
About 95% of people with pancreatic cancer die from it. It is so lethal because during the early stages, when the tumor would be “treatable”, there are no symptoms so it is almost always discovered in advanced stages, where life expectancy is very low, said Dr. Mauricio León Rivera, director of the League Against Cancer, medical director of the Cancer Detector Center and oncological surgeon at the Ricardo Palma Clinic.
According to the expert, this situation is due to the location of the pancreas, behind the stomach in a very deep area that is difficult to access, which makes early detection difficult, in addition to being a neoplasm that begins to metastasize very quickly.
Dr. León specified that abdominal tomography and MRI of the upper abdomen, always with contrast, are the most useful tests for diagnosis, in addition to planning the surgery, which must always be done by an expert oncological surgeon in the abdominal area, who evaluates the relationship of the tumor with the adjacent organs and vascular structures and above all its “resectability.”
“Detecting a small tumor of the pancreas with an abdominal ultrasound is extremely difficult, what is used is “echoendoscopy” to evaluate the nature of the tumor in the pancreas and even take a sample of the tumor, a procedure called “biopsy” for a correct diagnosis, without the need for an operation,” he added.
Regarding risk factors, the causes that cause this disease are currently unknown, however, it is related to age over 50 years, tobacco consumption, family history of pancreatic cancer, obesity, history of chronic pancreatitis and/or diabetes.
Signs and symptoms of the disease
The specialist Dr. León indicated that the most frequent signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, when they occur, are varied, among them we have:
Significant weight loss for no apparent reason, lack of appetite, fatigue, pain in the upper and middle region of the abdomen that radiates to the back or yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, called “jaundice”, due to the increased concentration of bilirubin in the blood.
The pancreas is the organ responsible for producing juices that help break down food for digestion, as well as releasing hormones that help control levels of sugar and other substances in our body.
It is worth mentioning that on the third Thursday of November each year, “World Pancreatic Cancer Day” is celebrated, with the purpose of informing and raising awareness among the population about the importance of knowing the warning signs, given that a timely diagnosis can save lives.
