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Treating Resectable Pancreatic Cancer People whose pancreatic cancer is considered resectable may undergo one of three surgeries: PANCREATIC CANCER 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: Submitted By: Yu, Anton Kristoffer C. BSMT-2a 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: 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: 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.