Download The stages of pancreatic cancer are - Yu, Anton Kristoffer

Treating Resectable Pancreatic
Cancer
People whose pancreatic cancer is
considered resectable may undergo one of
three surgeries:
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PANCREATIC
CANCER
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Whipple procedure
(pancreaticoduodenectomy): A surgeon
removes the head of the pancreas, parts of
the stomach and small intestine, some
lymph nodes, the gallbladder, and the
common bile duct. The remaining organs
are reconnected in a new way to allow
digestion. The Whipple procedure is a
difficult and complicated surgery.
Surgeons and hospitals that do the most
operations have the best results.
About half the time, once a surgeon sees
inside the abdomen, pancreatic cancer that
was thought to be resectable turns out to
have spread, and thus be unresectable. The
Whipple procedure is not completed in
these cases
TREATMENT CONT’N
Determining pancreatic cancer's stage is often
tricky. Imaging tests like CT scans and
ultrasound provide some information, but
knowing exactly how far pancreatic cancer has
spread usually requires surgery.
Since surgery has risks, doctors first
determine whether pancreatic cancer
appears to be removable by surgery
(resectable). Pancreatic cancer is then
described as follows:
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Submitted By: Yu, Anton Kristoffer C. BSMT-2a
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Resectable: On imaging tests,
pancreatic cancer hasn't spread (or
at least not far), and a surgeon feels
it might all be removable. About
10% of pancreatic cancers are
considered resectable when first
diagnosed.
Locally advanced (unresectable):
Pancreatic cancer has grown into
major blood vessels on imaging
tests, so the tumor can't safely be
removed by surgery.
Metastatic: Pancreatic cancer has
clearly spread to other organs, so
surgery cannot remove the cancer.
If pancreatic cancer is resectable,
surgery followed by chemotherapy
or radiation or both may extend
survival.
Pancreatic Cancer
The best treatment for pancreatic cancer
depends on how far it has spread, or its
stage.
Pancreatic Cancer Overview
Pancreatic cancer is aggressive with
few symptoms until the cancer is
advanced. Symptoms may include
abdominal pain, weight loss,
diarrhea, and jaundice. Treatments
include surgery, chemotherapy, and
radiation.
Pancreatic Cancer
Treatment
Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms
Pancreatic Cancer and
Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Because pancreatic cancer grows
around important areas of the digestive
system, gastrointestinal symptoms often
predominate:
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Abdominal pain. More than 80% of
people with pancreatic cancer
eventually experience some
abdominal pain as the tumor
grows. Pancreatic cancer can
cause a dull ache in the upper
abdomen radiating to the back.
The pain may come and go.
Bloating. Some people with
pancreatic cancer have a sense of
early fullness with meals (satiety)
or an uncomfortable swelling in
the abdomen.
Nausea
Diarrhea
Pale-colored stools. If the duct
draining bile into the intestine is
blocked by pancreatic cancer, the
stools may lose their brown color
and become pale or clay-colored.
Urine may become darker.
The stages of pancreatic cancer are:
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Stage 0: No spread. Pancreatic
cancer is limited to a single
layer of cells in the pancreas.
The pancreatic cancer is not
visible on imaging tests or
even to the naked eye.
Stage I: Local growth.
Pancreatic cancer is limited to
the pancreas, but has grown to
less than 2 centimeters across
(stage IA) or greater than 2
centimeters (stage IB).
Stage II: Local spread.
Pancreatic cancer has grown
outside the pancreas, or has
spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Stage III: Wider spread. The
tumor has expanded into
nearby major blood vessels or
nerves but has not
metastasized.
Stage IV: Confirmed spread.
Pancreatic cancer has spread
to distant organs.