Pancreatic Cancer - Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer

The pancreas is a spongy, tube-shaped organ about 6 inches long. It is located in the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen. It is connected to the duodenum, the upper end of the small intestine. The narrow end of the pancreas, called the tail, extends to the left side of the body.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most serious of cancers. It develops when cancerous cells form in the tissues of your pancreas — a large organ that lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates.

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor of the pancreas. Each year about 33,000 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with this condition, and more than 60,000 in Europe. Depending on the extent of the tumor at the time of diagnosis, the prognosis is generally regarded as poor, with few victims still alive five years after diagnosis, and complete remission still extremely rare

Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

Loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss. Unintended weight loss is a common sign of pancreatic cancer. Weight loss occurs in most types of cancer because cancerous (malignant) cells deprive healthy cells of nutrients, and this is especially true in pancreatic cancer.

As the cancer grows and spreads, pain often develops in the upper abdomen and sometimes spreads to the back. The pain may become worse after the person eats or lies down. Cancer of the pancreas can also cause nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and weakness.

Jaundice is caused by a buildup of bilirubin (a substance produced in the liver) that causes a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Jaundice may also cause brown urine and clay-colored stools. It is important to note that jaundice may be caused by a number of less dangerous conditions, such as anemia.

The symptoms of pancreatic cancer are generally vague and can easily be attributed to other less serious and more common conditions. This lack of specific symptoms explains the high number of people who have a more advanced stage of disease when pancreatic cancer is discovered.

Treatment for Pancreatic cancer

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells. You may receive radiation treatments before or after cancer surgery, often in combination with chemotherapy. Or, your doctor may recommend a combination of radiation and chemotherapy treatments when your cancer can't be treated surgically.

Surgery may be done to remove all or part of the pancreas. Sometimes it is necessary to remove a portion of the stomach, duodenum, and other nearby tissues. This operation is called a Whipple procedure. In cases where the cancer in the pancreas cannot be removed, the surgeon may be able to create a bypass around the common bile duct or the duodenum if either is blocked.

Endoscopic stent placement: A stent (flexible tube) is placed in the bile duct to drain the bile into the small intestine or outside the body as needed. This is done when the tumor is blocking the bile duct and there is a build up of bile to prevent further build up.

Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells but also damage some normal cells. This can lead to side effects, which depend on the type of drugs, the amount taken, and the length of treatment. Short-term side effects might include nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, hair loss, and mouth sores. Because chemotherapy can damage the bone marrow, where new blood cells are made, blood cell counts might become low.

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