Home / Pancreatic cancer / The treatment of pancreatic cancer

The treatment of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a dangerous cancer. Five-year survival observed in 0.4 to 3% of patients, the diameter of malignant tumors in which no more than two inches. From 55-75% of patients already diagnosed with pancreatic cancer stage 4 when the tumor directable. Radically operated patients on average live 6 to 30 months. No doctor will answer, how to recognize pancreatic cancer at an early stage, as during this period the disease is asymptomatic.

Patients with this diagnosis can be assigned to different therapies.

Surgery

The volume of surgical intervention depends on the size of the tumor and its location, patient's General condition and the stage. The following methods of surgical treatment:

  • Pancreatoduodenal resection. Performed if diagnosed with cancer of the pancreatic head. Represents the removal of the head and body parts of the body, the duodenum, about four inches the initial division of the small intestine, antrum, gallbladder and common bile duct at the level of the cystic duct. The surgeon removes also lymph nodes located in the retroperitoneal part of and in the course of the duodenal-hepatic ligament. If the tumor size is small, antral Department of a stomach and pylorus are trying to preserve. Unfortunately, treatment of cancer of the head of the pancreas in rare cases efficiently: the resectability of a tumor does not exceed 20%. This is due to the presence of distant metastasis and local spread of the tumor. The average postoperative mortality – 10-15%. The median five-year survival rate from 3% to 8%.
  • Total pancreatoduodenectomy. Performed for cancer of the head and body. The surgeon removes the entire pancreas, the duodenum, the antral section of the stomach, distal part of common bile duct, spleen, and regional lymph nodes. Such operation inevitably provokes severe diabetes, difficult to treat with insulin. Long-term results much worse than pancreatoduodenectomy. Therefore, this type of operation is rarely used.
  • Distal resection combined with splenectomy. Occurs when diagnosed with cancer of the tail of the pancreas. Is a tightly suturing the stump of the proximal part of the body. The tumor of this localization is detected, as a rule, in advanced stage, therefore, radical surgery is impossible. The average life expectancy after treatment for about 10 months.

Radiation therapy

For the destruction of cancer cells radiation uses high-energy. Of special equipment, the doctor directs the rays to an area where a malignant tumor. Radiotherapy can be used independently or in combination with other methods: surgery, chemotherapy, or a combination of both.

Radiation therapy affects cancer cells only in the irradiated region. This method is assigned courses. Its tasks are:

  • destroy remaining after surgery cancer cells;
  • to reduce pain;
  • to reduce the effects on the body complications of the cancer process.

Chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer

Involves the use of drugs that affect cancer cells. The method is assigned or independently, or in conjunction with other methods. Typically, chemotherapeutic agents are administered intravenously. Medicine getting into the blood vessels spread throughout the body and act as on diseased cells and healthy. Therefore, this method has a lot of side effects.

Nutrition in pancreatic cancer

lechenie raka podzheludochnoj zhelezyHavepatients with cancer of the pancreas is frequently observed loss of appetite. In addition, treatment side effects (nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite) make good nutrition. But the patient needs to get enough vitamins and minerals, calories and protein to promote recovery, maintain physical strength and prevent weight loss. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully control the diet prescribed by the attending physician or by the health nutrition specialist.

Pancreatic cancer often disrupts the level of blood sugar. So patients lose weight quickly, get tired. In some cases, patients prescribed the enzymes and hormones that should be produced by normal pancreas.

Further treatment of pancreatic cancer is aimed to prevent relapses. In order to detect changes regularly tests.