Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Options

How is Pancreatic Cancer treated?

This information represents the views of the doctors and nurses serving on the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Information Database Editorial Board. These views are based on their interpretation of studies published in medical journals, as well as their own professional experience.

The treatment information in this document is not official policy of the Society and is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your cancer care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor.

Your doctor may have reasons for suggesting a treatment plan different from these general treatment options. Don’t hesitate to ask him or her questions about your treatment options.

General treatment information

After the cancer is found and staged, your cancer care team will discuss treatment options with you. It is important that you take time to think about your choices. You will want to weigh the benefits of each treatment option against the possible risks and side effects. In choosing a treatment plan, two of the main factors to consider are whether or not the cancer can be removed (resected) with surgery and your overall health.

The main types of treatment for pancreatic cancer are:

SurgeryAblative techniquesRadiation therapyChemotherapy and other drugs

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Surgery

There are 2 general types of surgery used for pancreatic cancer:

Potentially curative surgery is used when the results of exams and tests suggest that it is possible to remove all the cancer.

Palliative surgery may be done if imaging tests show that the tumor is too widespread to be removed completely. This surgery is done to relieve symptoms or to prevent certain complications like a blocked bile duct or intestine, but it is not meant to try to cure the cancer.

Several studies have shown that removing only part of the cancer does not help patients live longer, so potentially curative surgery is only done if the surgeon thinks all of the cancer can be removed. Even then, this is one of the most difficult operations a surgeon can do. It is also one of the hardest for patients. It can cause complications and take several weeks to recover from. Patients need to weigh the potential benefits and risks of such surgery carefully.

Ablation or Embolization Treatments

These treatments are different ways of destroying tumors, rather than removing them with surgery. They can sometimes be used to help treat pancreatic cancer that has spread to other sites, especially the liver. But these treatments are very unlikely to cure cancers on their own. They are more likely to be used to help prevent or relieve cancer symptoms, and are often used along with other types of treatment.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs): When these tumors have spread to other sites, these treatments can often improve symptoms and help people live longer.

Exocrine pancreas cancers: These treatments are used much less often for exocrine cancers (which account for most pancreatic cancers), but they might sometimes be used to treat areas of spread when there are only a few of them.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays (or particles) to kill cancer cells. It can be helpful in treating some exocrine pancreatic cancers. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) don’t respond well to radiation, so it is rarely used to treat these tumors. Radiation is sometimes used to treat pancreatic NETs that have spread to the bone and are causing pain. It may also be used to treat these tumors in the form of radioembolization.

Radiation can be used in different situations for exocrine pancreas cancers:

Radiation therapy (combined with chemotherapy) may be used in people whose cancers have grown beyond the pancreas and can’t be removed by surgery (locally advanced/unresectable cancers).

Radiation is sometimes used to help relieve symptoms such as pain in people with advanced cancers or in people who aren’t healthy enough have other treatments like surgery.

Chemotherapy and other drugs

Chemotherapy (chemo) uses anti-cancer drugs injected into a vein or taken by mouth. These drugs enter the bloodstream and reach all areas of the body, making this treatment potentially useful for cancers that have spread beyond the organ they started in.

Chemotherapy for exocrine pancreatic cancer

Chemo may be used at any stage of pancreatic cancer:

Chemo can be given before surgery (sometimes along with radiation) to try to shrink the tumor. This is known as neoadjuvant treatment.

Chemo can be used after surgery (sometimes along with radiation) to try to kill any cancer cells that have been left behind (but can’t be seen). This type of treatment, called adjuvant treatment, lowers the chance that the cancer will come back later.

Chemo is commonly used when the cancer is advanced and can’t be removed completely with surgery.

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Source: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreaticcancer/detailedguide/pancreatic-cancer-treating-general-info