The recent death of Luciano Pavarotti from pancreatic cancer highlights the dangers involved in the disease.

Luciano Pavarotti, who died in September, had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment in August. His situation is not uncommon. In 2003, about 7,100 people in the UK were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For every 1,000 cancers diagnosed, 26 were cancers of the pancreas.

There are several facotors that could cause pancreatic cancer. Excess weight, such as that carried by the Opera star Pavarotti, and lack of physical activity makes you on average twice as likely to develop pancreatic cancer, according to a study for the American Association for Cancer Research.

Now researchers have added yet another piece to the puzzle that links cigarette smoking with cancer of the pancreas, one of the deadliest forms of cancer. In a study published in the International Journal of Cancer, US researchers zeroed in on the way a healthy cell turns cancerous.

Prevent Pancreatic Cancer

Eating flavonol-rich foods like apples helps reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer, especially if you’re a smoker, says a team of international researchers. Read More

Also, a commonly used herbal supplement, triphala, has cancer-fighting properties that prevent or slow the growth of pancreatic cancer tumours, a new study suggests. The study found that an extract of triphala, the dried and powdered fruits of three plants, caused pancreatic cancer cells to die through a process called apoptosis - the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted or unneeded cells that is often faulty in cancer cells, according to researchers from the US University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Read More

Read More

Foods To Fight Cancer: We all know that eating fruits, vegetables and soy products provides essential nutrition for a healthy lifestyle. But it’s also one of the most enjoyable ways to prevent cancer.