Victor Ortega MCALLEN – In honor of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, KVAQ-TV spoke with UTRGV researchers who are working on identifying molecules that can assist in diagnosing the disease.
The American Cancer Society states the pancreas is a small organ that sits behind the stomach producing protein involved digestion.
Dr. Subhash Chauhan, Director of the South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, is leading the way for pancreatic cancer research at UTRGV.
The most common form of pancreatic cancer is when cells within the pancreas make proteins grow out of control.
Dr. Chauhan’s team of researchers are working on methods to easily diagnose the cancer, as he said its difficult to spot.
“So, if you want to do any imaging, then it is very difficult to just image pancreas because it is just surrounded by abdominal organs,” Dr. Chauhan said. “Then alimentary canal and there are a lot of blood vessels.”
Dr. Chauhan said they are still in the early stages of their research, and that the group is a few years away before any major breakthroughs.
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology Dr. Theresa Pagliuca explained that pancreatic cancer symptoms can be mistaken for other ailments, like pain in the upper abdomen and weight loss.
Dr. Pagliuca shared a few habits that may cause pancreatic cancer.
“People who smoke. Heavy alcohol use can cause a benign inflammation of the pancreas. That long-term benign inflammation of the pancreas can result in a pancreatic cancer,” Dr. Pagliuca said.
Dr. Pagliuca said the UT Health RGV Cancer and Surgery Center can help people at risk of the disease, as they offer imaging and endoscopies that can help in a diagnosis, although further tests are required.
