Don Your Purple Ribbons, November's Almost Here

As we say goodbye to October we should not lose site of a very important theme of this first, full month of fall; breast cancer awareness. We are reminded throughout the month of how important it is to stay vigilant as women to the signs and prevention of this disease. However, it goes without saying that this disease does not only strike in October. This is a year round fight that should not be forgotten.

As we enter November another type of cancer moves to the forefront of our awareness. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Ironically, we have all just been made aware of the lethal impact of pancreatic cancer with the recent passing of Apple founder and CEO, Steve Jobs. Just as we wore pink ribbons in October to signify our awareness of breast cancer, purple is the color for November. Here are some facts you should know about pancreatic cancer.

The cause of pancreatic cancer is difficult to pinpoint, however, smoking and diabetes are widely suspected. We all know the importance of not smoking but this is a perfect example of why the obesity crisis in the United States needs to be halted. Americans are developing diabetes in unprecedented numbers due to obesity.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer often do not appear until the disease is in its advanced stages. These symptoms may include jaundice or yellowing of the skin and eyes, abdominal pain or back pain that may worsen when lying down, sudden, unintended weight loss, loss of a appetite and/or nausea, change in color of urine and stool such as darkening of urine and paleness of stool.  Symptoms, which may be more difficult to correlate to the disease, as they are less common, may include itchy skin and the sudden onset of diabetes. Symptoms vary, however, depending on the location of the tumor.

Although African Americans have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer and men develop it at a higher rate, Caucasians and women should not be fooled into believing that they are immune. It is important that everyone be aware of these symptoms and visits their doctor immediately if they suspect they are experiencing any of them.