Pancreatic cancer is a tumor of the pancreas. In most cases this type of tumor is very aggressive and is, unfortunately, found at a late stage. Thus, patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas are gravely ill.
Symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer in more than 50 % patients are jaundice (yellow eyes and skin), abdominal pain, and weight loss. Less common symptoms are back/leg pain, GI bleeding, depression.
Evaluation of the patient with possible pancreatic cancer includes CT scan of the abdomen, US of the right upper quadrant and possibly an ERCP.
Surgical treatment for this condition is usually a Whipple Procedure. The Whipple procedure is best when the tumor is a solitary nodule less than 4-5 cm in diameter. Mortality in these situations is above 5%.
Other surgery is indicated when different conditions apply. These should be discussed with your gastroenterologist and surgeon.
Chemotherapy can be used to treat pancreatic cancer. In most cases, chemotherapy with a single agent offers little to patients. Usually, multiple agents are required to provide any significant improvement in patient's outcomes. There are a variety of chemotherapy regimens that have been used to treat pancreatic cancer. In general, these options should be discussed with an oncologist.
Radiation therapy can be used effectively in patients with back pain due to tumor invasion from the pancreatic tumor. Radiation therapy, when used in conjunction with chemotherapy, has been shown to be more effective than either modality alone. These regimens are currently being evaluated.
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