Pancreatic cancer usually doesn't cause symptoms until the disease is well established in the body (and those symptoms it does produce, such as abdominal pain, weight loss, and depression, are common to many other conditions). Even if caught early, the disease can spread quickly and prognosis is generally poor. Nevertheless, there are treatments for pancreatic cancer, and new methods of treatment are under constant investigation.
Surgery
Surgery to remove the tumor is possible in the early stages of pancreatic cancer. Surgery differs depending on where in the pancreas the tumor is located. If the tumor is in the tail or body of the pancreas, an operation called distal pancretectomy can be performed, during which the surgeon removes part of the pancreas and possibly the spleen. A Whipple procedure is done when the tumor is in the head of the pancreas. During the Whipple procedure, the surgeon removes the head of the pancreas, along with parts of the duodenum (small intestine) and bile duct and the gallbladder. The stomach may also be partially removed. Both distal pancretectomy and the Whipple procedure are complex operations, so it's vital to choose a surgeon with a lot of successful experience in performing these surgeries.
Chemotherapy/Radiation
Chemotherapy and radiation are often used post-surgery to kill any remaining pancreatic cancer cells and prevent a cancer recurrence. They also can be used if the cancer has spread far enough so that surgery is no longer a viable option. The chemotherapy drug gemcitabine is commonly used to treat pancreatic cancer. Targeted drugs--drugs that fight abnormalities inside cancer cells instead of just indiscriminately destroying them--are a new form of therapy that can help prolong survival in pancreatic cancer patients. Erlotinib (trade name Tarceva) is one of these targeted treatments.
Clinical Trials
Because pancreatic cancer is so often diagnosed in an advanced state, it may be worth looking into clinical trials of new anti-cancer drugs. Researchers are investigating the promise of drugs that shut down blood vessel growth (and starve tumors of needed blood) and pancreatic cancer vaccines that spur the immune system to fight cancer cells more effectively.
Tags: pancreatic cancer, cancer cells, Whipple procedure, distal pancretectomy, head pancreas, surgeon removes