Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (also called cancer of the pancreas) is represented by the growth of a malignant tumour within the small pancreas organ. Each year about 31,000 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with this condition, with more than 60,000 in Europe.

Treatment

Treatment of pancreatic cancer depends on the stage of the cancer http://www.cancersupportivecare.com/pancreas.html#stage Recent advances have made resection of tumors that were previoulsly unrescetable due to blood vessel involvement possible. The Whipple procedure is the most common surgical treatment for cancers involving the head of the pancreas.

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Stage

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Description

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Approx. % of cases

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Treatment options

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Median survival

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Local/resectable

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Disease is confined to the pancreas and is clearly separated from surrounding blood vessels

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15

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Surgery; postoperative chemotherapy and/or radiation may also be offered

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17 months

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Locally advanced/unresectable

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Disease encases or compresses surrounding blood vessels, or has directly extended into adjacent structures

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40

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Chemotherapy (most commonly gemcitabine-based) and/or radiation. In very rare instances, cancers that respond well to initial treatment may subsequently be surgically resected.

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8-9 months

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Metastatic

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Evidence of extrapancreatic spread to distant organs (liver, lungs, etc.)

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45

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Chemotherapy (most commonly gemcitabine-based); investigational trials

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4-6 months

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