Liver, Pancreas, and Colons Cancer Can Strike Without Discretion

Many of us do not know what it is to truly struggle in life. In truth, many young people do think that they are invincible in a world ravaged by starvation, brutality, and disease. For this reason, government involvement in the form of the Affordable Care Act and other statues have gone to great lengths to ensure that all Americans are able to receive healthcare to protect them from the conditions of this world. This includes unrecognizable threats such as cancer, which may surprise many to learn that up to 39% of all Americans are expected to be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime. Today the fight against cancer has never been fiercer as new treatment options and pharmaceuticals promise a future where cancer becomes eradicated.

Liver Surgery Statistics

Every year there are over 20,350 people in the United States who die every year from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis; an additional 39,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer every year of which 27,000 people die annually in the United States alone. One of the primary treatments for liver cancer is a liver transplant, as around 75% of those who receive a liver transplant have lived for five or more years following their surgery. Unfortunately, demand for healthy livers is high according to the American Liver Foundation as there were over 16,000 patients on the national waiting list for a liver transplant as of October of 2012 — for this reason many Americans are urged to become organ donors to give someone the gift of hope.

Finding a Pancreatic Surgeon You Can Trust


Just south of the liver, many Americans are unsure of what their pancreas is or what it does in our bodies. The pancreas is a long flattened gland that aids in digestion and plays a critical role in regulating blood sugar levels. Figures from 2014 suggest that around 48,960 adults in the United States were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; statistics for the same year also report that around 40,560 deaths were linked to pancreatic cancer as well. Overall, pancreatic cancer is the eighth most common form of cancer in women and the fourth leading cause of cancer among both men and women. Pancreatic cancer is serious, as according to the American Cancer Society the one year relative survival rate for all stages of pancreatic cancer combined is 20% and the five year rate is a mere 6%. With the right surgeon however and if detected at an early stage, the five year survival rate rises to around 26%. Always be sure to consult with more than one surgeon for a second opinion as there is nothing standardized when it comes to cancer.

Colon Surgery for Cancer Patients

Colorectal cancer can result in debilitating abdominal pain in addition to the many other side effects that come as baggage with cancer. With the exclusion of skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that by the end of 2016 there will be 95,270 new cases of colon cancer and 39,220 new cases of rectal cancer across the nation. Statistically speaking, the lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is around 1 in 21 for men and 1 in 23 for women; of course there are other risk factors that may also play a role in one’s risk for developing colorectal cancer. Innovative colon surgery works to decrease the mortality rate of colorectal cancer through a process known as a Polypectomy. A Polypectomy is a colon surgery procedure in which small growths on the inner lining of the colon known as polyps are removed during a colonoscopy. Polypectomy is an early treatment option before more complex colon surgery ought to be considered. Always be sure to find a trusted surgeon and get second opinions before you trust your life in anyone’s hands.