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Overview
Pancreatic cancer, develops first in the tissues of the pancreas—a large organ that lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. The pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the process by which the body uses sugar for energy.
Pancreatic cancer typically spreads rapidly and is rarely detected in its early stage, which is a major reason why it is a leading cause of cancer death. Signs and symptoms may not appear until the pancreatic cancer is quite advanced and surgical removal is no longer possible. Symptoms
Common symptoms of pancreatic cancer include pain in the upper abdomen that typically radiates to the back, loss of appetite, weight loss, jaundice related to bile duct obstruction, and depression. These symptoms can have other disease-related causes as well.
Diagnosis
Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is difficult because the symptoms are so varied and non-specific. Therefore, pancreatic cancer is often not diagnosed until it is advanced and has spread to other parts of the body.
Determining Treatment Options
The National Cancer Institute suggests that before starting treatment, patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. A clinical trial is a research study meant to obtain information on new treatments (not approved for general use) for patients (with cancer or other types of conditions/diseases).
Treatments
There are many treatment options for patients with pancreatic cancer. These include:
- Surgery—one of the following types of surgery may be used to remove the pancreatic cancer:
- Whipple procedure—type of surgery that removes the head of the pancreas, the gallbladder, part of the stomach, part of the small intestine, and the bile duct. Part of the pancreas is left to produce digestive juices and insulin.
- Total pancreatectomy—this operation removes the whole pancreas, part of the stomach, part of the small intestine, the common bile duct, the gallbladder, the spleen, and nearby lymph nodes.
- Distal pancreatectomy—the body and the tail of the pancreas and usually the spleen are removed.
If the cancer has spread and cannot be removed, the following types of surgery may be done to relieve symptoms:
- Surgical biliary bypass—if the cancer is causing bile to building up in the gallbladder, a biliary bypass may be done. The surgeon will cut the gallbladder or bile duct and sew it to the small intestine to create a pathway around the blockage.
- Endoscopic stent placement—if the tumor is blocking the bile duct, surgery may be done to put in a stent (a thin tube) to drain built up bile. The surgeon may place the stent through a catheter that drains to the outside of the body or the stent may detour the blocked area and drain the bile into the small intestine.
- Gastric bypass—if the tumor is blocking the flow of food from the stomach, the stomach may be sewn directly to the small intestine so the patient can continue to eat normally.
- Chemotherapy—uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
- Radiation therapy—uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Biogen Idec Investigational Treatments
- Clinical trials—using investigational treatments may be discussed as a possible treatment option for some patients, depending on the specific requirements of the different trials and the patient’s cancer stage and disease status. Click here to learn more about clinical trials. About Clinical Trials
Please contact Biogen Idec directly using the link below for current clinical trials in this disease.
To contact Biogen, click here.
Pancreatic Cancer Resources
http://www.mayoclinic.org/pancreatic-cancer/
http://www.pancreatica.org/
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat35.html
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