pancreatic cancer treatment

pancreatic cancer treatment

What Are The Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Options?

Cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer (how much it has spread), age, health status, and additional personal characteristics. There is no single treatment for cancer, and pancreatic cancer is usually only curable when found in its earliest stages. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are the most common treatment types. Treatments seek to remove the cancer and/or relieve painful symptoms that the cancer is causing.

Surgery may be used to remove all or part of the pancreas. If a cancer has not metastasized, it is possible to completely cure a patient by surgically removing the cancer from the body. After the disease has spread, however, it is nearly impossible to remove all of the cancer cells. There are three main surgical procedures that are used when it seems possible to remove all of the cancer:

    Whipple procedure (most common in cancers of the head of the pancreas): the pancreas head, and sometimes the entire organ, is removed along with a portion of the stomach, duodenum, lymph nodes, and other tissue. The procedure is complex and risky with complications such as leaking, infections, bleeding, and stomach problems.

    Distal pancreatectomy: the pancreas tail is removed, and sometimes part of the body, along with the spleen. This procedure is usually used to treat islet cell or neuroendocrine tumors.

    Total pancreatectomy: The entire pancreas and spleen are removed. Although you can live without a pancreas, diabetes often results because your body no longer produces insulin cells.

Palliative surgery is also an option when the cancer in the pancreas cannot be removed. Often, a surgeon will create a bypass around the common bile duct or the duodenum if either is blocked so that bile can still flow from the liver and pain or digestive problems can be kept at a minimum. Bile duct blockage can also be relieved by inserting a small stent in the duct to keep it open, a less invasive procedure using an endoscope.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy utilizes chemicals that interfere with the cell division process - damaging proteins or DNA - so that cancer cells will commit suicide. These treatments target any rapidly dividing cells (not necessarily just cancer cells), but normal cells can usually recover from any chemical-induced damage while cancer cells cannot. Chemotherapy is generally used to treat cancer that has spread or metastasized because the medicines travel throughout the entire body. Treatment occurs in cycles so the body has time to heal between doses. However, there are still common side effects such as hair loss, nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. Combination therapies often include multiple types of chemotherapy or chemotherapy combined with other treatment options.

Gemcitabine (Gemzar) is the chemotherapy drug used most often to treat pancreatic cancer, and it is usually administered intravenously on a weekly basis. Another commonly used drug is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Chemotherapy is not always administered with the intent to cure the cancer. Some patients receive treatments after surgery (adjuvant therapy) to kill any cancer cells that were missed, and others receive it as palliative chemotherapy to improve their quality of life if the cancer cannot be cured.

Newer drugs that target specific parts of cancer cells are now being studied. These drugs work differently from standard chemotherapy drugs, and they often have fewer side effects.  One such drug, erlotinib (Tarceva), has helped some patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and is taken orally in pill form. This drug has been used in combination with gemcitabine to show modest benefits.

• Radiation
• radiotherapy

Radiation treatment, also known as radiotherapy, destroys cancer by focusing high-energy rays on the cancer cells. This causes damage to the molecules that make up the cancer cells and leads them to commit suicide. Radiotherapy utilizes high-energy gamma-rays that are emitted from metals such as radium or high-energy x-rays that are created in a special machine. Radiotherapy can be used as a standalone treatment to shrink a tumor or destroy cancer cells, and it is also used in combination with other cancer treatments.

Radiation treatments for pancreatic cancer are usually given 5 days a week for 5 to 6 weeks.  Patients may receive radiation treatment in addition to surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatments. In addition, radiation therapy can be palliative, serving to relieve pain or digestive problems when the common bile duct or duodenum is blocked.

Side effects of radiation therapy may include mild skin changes resembling sunburn or suntan, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. Patients also tend to lose their appetites and have trouble maintaining weight, but most side effects subside a few weeks after completing treatment.

How Can Pancreatic Cancer Be Prevented?

There are no established guidelines or recommendations for preventing pancreatic cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. However, it is advisable to quit smoking because cigarette use is thought to be a main factor in 20-30% of pancreatic cancers. In general, physicians recommend standard preventive measures such as keeping a healthy weight, exercising, and increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while decreasing red meat intake. There is no evidence, however, that following these dietary guidelines will prevent or reduce pancreatic cancer.

Some studies suggest that certain vitamins can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer. Vitamin D has been associated with reducing the risk of several types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. B vitamins such as B12, B6, and folate that are consumed in food (not in pill or tablet form) have also been suggested to reduce pancreatic cancer risk.