Staying strong

After pictures of a gaunt looking Kim Jong Il surfaced last week, there were unconfirmed reports that the North Korean leader has pancreatic cancer. And actor Patrick Swayze has been battling the the illness for more than a year. We searched Bing to learn more about the prognosis, treatment and probable causes of this often fatal illness.

The American Cancer Society estimates more than 40,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2009. More than 35,000 people are expected to die from the disease this year. (Bing has more facts about the illness.)

What is it? Pancreatic cancer is caused when malignant cells form in the tissues of the pancreas. (What does the pancreas do?) There are four stages of this cancer. (What are they?)

Causes: Risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer include smoking, diabetes, obesity and pancreatitis. A high-fat diet also has been linked to the disease. (Find out more.)

Symptoms: Signs of pancreatic cancer can include jaundice, weight loss and abdominal pain. (What are some others?)

Diagnosis: Pancreatic cancer diagnostic tools include CT and MRI scans, ultrasound, biopsy and something called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. (What is that?)

Treatment: Options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, depending on the stage of cancer diagnosed. (Find clinical trials for pancreatic cancer patients.) The Whipple procedure is the most common operation done for pancreatic cancer. (What is that?)

Prognosis: Only 5 percent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are alive five years after their diagnosis. The survival rate is higher for those who are able to have surgery. (Find out more about pancreatic cancer survival rates.)

Inspirational tales: Some patients who have beaten the odds against pancreatic cancer have used the Internet to tell their stories. (Read more about these survivors.)

Celebrity patients: Patrick Swayze isn't the only famous person battling this deadly disease. Apple head honcho Steve Jobs was diagnosed in 2003. (Bing has pictures of Jobs.) Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery for it in February. (When did she return to the bench?) Tom Mahoney, husband of "Desperate Housewives" actress Marcia Cross, was diagnosed earlier this year.