Cancer treatment is based on the type of cancer, stage of the disease and where it is located in your body. It is usually not possible to remove the entire tumor, but there are many different options that can be used to control your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Surgery: In some cases, surgery can be used to remove the entire tumor or a part of it. This can be done using a small incision in your abdomen called a pancreatectomy or through several smaller incisions made in your abdominal wall, called laparoscopic surgery. The doctor will decide if this is the best way to treat your condition, taking into account your overall health and the size and location of the tumor.
Endoscopic therapy: This is where your doctor passes a thin flexible tube (endoscope) down into your stomach to look at the pancreas and other parts of your abdomen. They may also be able to take samples of tissue from the area and look at them under a microscope to see if there are cancer cells.
These tests are usually done as an early step in the process of diagnosing pancreatic cancer. They can help your doctor find out if the tumor is causing any symptoms and how far the cancer has spread, so they can plan the most effective way to attack it.
ERCP: This is where your doctor passes a tube down into your stomach to look at the pancreas or other parts of your abdomen and take samples of tissue. They can also look at your lymph nodes and check for any signs of metastasis or other cancers.
A biopsy is a sample of tissue that is removed from your abdomen and looked at under a microscope to see if it contains cancer cells. The doctor can see if the sample is a good match for your tumor and can tell if it is a resectable cancer, which means that the surgeon can safely remove it.
Targeted therapy: This is a new type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells without harming normal tissue. These drugs are typically given as a combination with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Drugs that target a type of gene called RAS: These genes make proteins that take part in signaling pathways that control cell growth. Altered forms of these genes are found in more than 90% of pancreatic cancers, so scientists have been trying to develop drugs that target them.
Anti-angiogenesis factors: These drugs block the growth of blood vessels that are needed for tumors to grow and thrive. These drugs are being studied in clinical trials and have shown some promise for patients with pancreatic cancer.
Chemotherapy: This is the first line of treatment for people with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer who haven’t received prior treatment. It can be used on its own or with other treatments like radiation and chemoradiation, depending on the patient’s health.
