Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas releases enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help manage your blood sugar.
Pancreatic cancer typically spreads rapidly to nearby organs. It is seldom detected in its early stages. But for people with pancreatic cysts or a family history of pancreatic cancer, some screening steps might help detect a problem early. One sign of pancreatic cancer is diabetes, especially when it occurs with weight loss, jaundice or pain in the upper abdomen that spreads to the back.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer often don’t occur until the disease is advanced. They may include:
Pain in the upper abdomen that radiates to your back
Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss
Depression
New-onset diabetes
Blood clots
Fatigue
Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
Diagnosis
Pancreatic ultrasound
If your doctor suspects pancreatic cancer, he or she may have you undergo one or more of the following tests:
Imaging tests that create pictures of your internal organs.These tests help your doctors visualize your internal organs, including the pancreas. Techniques used to diagnose pancreatic cancer include ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and, sometimes, positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
Using a scope to create ultrasound pictures of your pancreas.An endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) uses an ultrasound device to make images of your pancreas from inside your abdomen. The device is passed through a thin, flexible tube (endoscope) down your esophagus and into your stomach in order to obtain the images.
Removing a tissue sample for testing (biopsy).A biopsy is a procedure to remove a small sample of tissue for examination under a microscope. Your doctor may obtain a sample of tissue from the pancreas by inserting a needle through your skin and into your pancreas (fine-needle aspiration). Or he or she may remove a sample during EUS, guiding special tools into the pancreas.
Blood test.Your doctor may test your blood for specific proteins (tumor markers) shed by pancreatic cancer cells. One tumor marker test used in pancreatic cancer is called CA19-9. But the test isn’t always reliable, and it isn’t clear how best to use the CA19-9 test results. Some doctors measure your levels before, during and after treatment.
Treatment
Pancreatic cancer treatment depends on the stage and location of cancer as well as on your overall health and personal preferences. For most people, the first goal of pancreatic cancer treatment is to eliminate cancer, when possible. When that isn’t an option, the focus may be on improving your quality of life and preventing the cancer from growing or causing more harm.
Treatment may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of these. When pancreatic cancer is advanced and these treatments aren’t likely to offer a benefit, your doctor will offer symptom relief (palliative care) that makes you as comfortable as possible.
Surgery
Whipple procedure
Operations used in people with pancreatic cancer include:
Surgery for tumors in the pancreatic head.If your cancer is located in the head of the pancreas, you may consider an operation called a Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy).
The Whipple procedure is technically difficult operation to remove the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine (duodenum), the gallbladder and part of the bile duct. In some situations, part of the stomach and nearby lymph nodes may be removed as well. Your surgeon reconnects the remaining parts of your pancreas, stomach and intestines to allow you to digest food.
Surgery for tumors in the pancreatic body and tail.Surgery to remove the left side (body and tail) of the pancreas is called distal pancreatectomy. Your surgeon may also remove your spleen.
Surgery to remove the entire pancreas.In some people, the entire pancreas may need to be removed. This is called total pancreatectomy. You can live relatively normally without a pancreas but do need lifelong insulin and enzyme replacement.
Surgery for tumors affecting nearby blood vessels.Many people with advanced pancreatic cancer are not considered eligible for the Whipple procedure or other pancreatic surgeries if their tumors involve nearby blood vessels. At a very few medical centers in the United States, highly specialized and experienced surgeons will safely perform these operations with removal and reconstruction of parts of blood vessels in select patients.
Each of these surgeries carries the risk of bleeding and infection. After surgery some people experience nausea and vomiting if the stomach has difficulty emptying (delayed gastric emptying). Expect a long recovery after any of these procedures. You’ll spend several days in the hospital and then recover for several weeks at home.
Extensive research shows pancreatic cancer surgery tends to cause fewer complications when done by highly experienced surgeons at centers that do many of these operations. Don’t hesitate to ask about your surgeon’s and hospital’s experience with pancreatic cancer surgery. If you have any doubts, get a second opinion.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to help kill cancer cells. These drugs can be injected into a vein or taken orally. You may receive one chemotherapy drug or a combination of them.
Chemotherapy can also be combined with radiation therapy (chemoradiation). Chemoradiation is typically used to treat cancer that has spread beyond the pancreas, but only to nearby organs and not to distant regions of the body. At specialized medical centers, this combination may be used before surgery to help shrink the tumor. Sometimes it is used after surgery to reduce the risk that pancreatic cancer may recur.
In people with advanced pancreatic cancer, chemotherapy is often used to control cancer growth and prolong survival.
Supportive (palliative) care
Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care specialists work with you, your family and your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support that complements your ongoing care. Palliative care can be used while undergoing aggressive treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
When palliative care is used along with other appropriate treatments — even soon after the diagnosis — people with cancer may feel better and live longer.
Palliative care is provided by teams of doctors, nurses and other specially trained professionals. These teams aim to improve the quality of life for people with cancer and their families. Palliative care is not the same as hospice care or end-of-life care
For any assistance or query..
Success Stories of Survivors
“I am very much happy with the services of sisters and other staff.”
Sneha
"We would like to extend a note of gratitude for everything that has been done to save my mom life's. Our family is grateful to all the staff of Oncoplus Hospital."
Andrey
"Affordable and excellent healthcare from very good doctors and nursing staff."
Thomas George
“My doctor in Afghanistan said I have intestine cancer. My friend told me to visit Oncoplus Cancer Hospital in New Delhi. I talked to doctor before coming. I was explained about the disease. I came for the treatment and i am going back to my country after treatment.”
Mohsin Amiri
“I came from Uzbekistan to India for the treatment of my mother. She had breast cancer. Doctor’s performed surgery very well and after chemotherapy my mother is fine… Thank you doctors, nurses, staff for treating my mother.”
