Treatments for Pancreatic cancer

Treatment list for Pancreatic cancer: The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Pancreatic cancer includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Surgery
  • Whipple procedure
  • Distal pancreatectomy
  • Total pancreatectomy
  • Bile duct bypass - for blockage
  • Duodenum bypass - for blockage
  • Stent - used to hold an area open after a bypass.
  • Intravenous feeding - often necessary after surgery
• Pain relief
  • Pain medications
  • Nerve block
  • Surgical nerve block - by cutting nerves.
  • Massage
  • Acupuncture
  • Acupressure
• Pancreatic enzyme supplements
• Insulin
• Anti-itching treatments

Treatment of Pancreatic cancer: medical news summaries: The following medical news items are relevant to treatment of Pancreatic cancer:

• Chronic pancreatitis can lead to diabetes
• Herbal supplement delivers promise of new hope in prostate cancer treatment
• New drug proving effective in reducing cancer cells following chemotherapy
• Pancreatic cancer surgery less common in black men

Treatments of Pancreatic cancer discussion: People with pancreatic cancer may have several treatment options. Depending on the type and stage, pancreatic cancer may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Some patients have a combination of therapies.

Surgery may be used alone or in combination with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

The surgeon may remove all or part of the pancreas. The extent of surgery depends on the location and size of the tumor, the stage of the disease, and the patient's general health.

• Whipple procedure: If the tumor is in the head (the widest part) of the pancreas, the surgeon removes the head of the pancreas and part of the small intestine, bile duct, and stomach. The surgeon may also remove other nearby tissues.

• Distal pancreatectomy: The surgeon removes the body and tail of the pancreas if the tumor is in either of these parts. The surgeon also removes the spleen.

• Total pancreatectomy: The surgeon removes the entire pancreas, part of the small intestine, a portion of the stomach, the common bile duct, the gallbladder, the spleen, and nearby lymph nodes.

Sometimes the cancer cannot be completely removed. But if the tumor is blocking the common bile duct or duodenum, the surgeon can create a bypass. A bypass allows fluids to flow through the digestive tract. It can help relieve jaundice and pain resulting from a blockage.

The doctor sometimes can relieve blockage without doing bypass surgery. The doctor uses an endoscope to place a stent in the blocked area. A stent is a tiny plastic or metal mesh tube that helps keep the duct or duodenum open.

After surgery, some patients are fed liquids intravenously (by IV) and through feeding tubes placed into the abdomen. Patients slowly return to eating solid foods by mouth. A few weeks after surgery, the feeding tubes are removed.

Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. A large machine directs radiation at the abdomen. Radiation therapy may be given alone, or with surgery, chemotherapy, or both.

Radiation therapy is local therapy. It affects cancer cells only in the treated area. For radiation therapy, patients go to the hospital or clinic, often 5 days a week for several weeks.

Doctors may use radiation to destroy cancer cells that remain in the area after surgery. They also use radiation to relieve pain and other problems caused by the cancer.

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Doctors also give chemotherapy to help reduce pain and other problems caused by pancreatic cancer. It may be given alone, with radiation, or with surgery and radiation.

Chemotherapy is systemic therapy. The doctor usually gives the drugs by injection. Once in the bloodstream, the drugs travel throughout the body.

Usually chemotherapy is an outpatient treatment given at the hospital, clinic, doctor's office, or home. However, depending on which drugs are given and the patient's general health, the patient may need to stay in the hospital.¹

Pain is a common problem for people with pancreatic cancer. The tumor can cause pain by pressing against nerves and other organs.

The patient's doctor or a specialist in pain control can relieve or reduce pain in several ways:

• Pain medicine -- Medicines often can relieve pain. (These medicines may make people drowsy and constipated, but resting and taking laxatives can help.)

• Radiation -- High-energy rays can help relieve pain by shrinking the tumor.

• Nerve block -- The doctor may inject alcohol into the area around certain nerves in the abdomen to block the feeling of pain.

• Surgery -- The surgeon may cut certain nerves to block pain.

The doctor may suggest other ways to relieve or reduce pain. For example, massage, acupuncture, or acupressure may be used along with other approaches to help relieve pain. Also, the patient may learn relaxation techniques such as listening to slow music or breathing slowly and comfortably.¹

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from What You Need To Know About Cancer of the Pancreas: NCI

Last revision: June 5, 2003

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