Treatment of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant disease that develops from exocrine or endocrine cells of the organ. It is quite rare, but is characterized by a long asymptomatic course and aggressive behavior after reaching stage 2-3. Earlier, the tumor is diagnosed in only 20% of patients.

The effectiveness of treatment largely depends on the timing of diagnosis and the possibility of removing the tumor. Large tumors and tumors that have spread to neighboring organs require a complex operation, which requires special equipment and a highly qualified doctor.

Oxford Medical operates a high-tech surgical hospital with two operating rooms, an intensive care unit and an intensive care unit with equipment to monitor and support vital body functions. Thanks to this, as well as the involvement of a team of oncologists and oncological surgeons, who are rightfully considered the best in Kyiv and all of Ukraine, the clinic has created all the conditions for treating cancer and performing operations of any complexity.

To determine the stage of pancreatic cancer, oncologists use the international TNM classification system, which stands for: T (tumor size), N (nodes) – involvement of lymph nodes, M (metastasis) – presence of metastases. Specialists assess the disease according to each parameter separately, which allows them to determine the spread of the disease as accurately as possible and choose the optimal treatment.

It is quite difficult for patients to understand it, so they often use a simplified system, according to which 4 stages of cancer are distinguished:

• Stage 1 – a small neoplasm localized in the pancreas;
• Stage 2 – the size of the neoplasm is large, but it remains within the organ, there is no lymph node involvement or metastasis;
• Stage 3 – malignant cells spread to the lymph nodes;
• Stage 4 – the tumor has grown into adjacent organs, there are distant metastases.

The risk of developing pancreatic cancer is increased by:

• smoking - 30% of cases of carcinoma formation are associated with it;
• alcohol abuse;
• unbalanced diet - chronic deficiency of fresh vegetables and fruits is considered the leading cause of the disease in 20% of patients;
• diabetes mellitus - the likelihood of cancer increases by 2 times;
• hereditary predisposition - up to 10% of cases;
• chronic pancreatitis - over 20 years, cancer is diagnosed in 4-8%;
• colorectal cancer;
• adenomatous polyposis;
• Hippel-Lindau, Gardner syndromes;
• obesity, etc.

For the purpose of prevention, experts recommend leading a healthy lifestyle (doing sports, eating right, giving up bad habits), maintaining weight within normal limits, timely treating all diseases and regularly undergoing preventive examinations.

Many diseases of the pancreas and digestive system manifest themselves in a similar way, which complicates diagnosis. Patients with cancer often have pancreatitis and develop diabetes, which is why the main diagnosis can remain unnoticed for a long time. To prevent this, it is necessary to undergo a complex of examinations.

To assess the condition of the pancreas, the following are performed:

• ultrasound examination (US);
• ultrasonography;
• spiral computed tomography with double contrast (CT);
• positron emission tomography (PET-CT);
• endoscopic retrograde pancreaticocholangiography (ERCP);
• puncture biopsy under ultrasound or CT control;
• histological analysis of a tumor tissue sample obtained through a biopsy;
• blood tests for hormones and tumor markers;
• X-ray, CT, MRI and other examinations to detect metastases.

Ultrasound and CT scans can visualize the tumor, but a biopsy and histological analysis are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

The treatment tactics depend on the stage at which the diagnosis was made. At 1 and 2, surgical treatment is first performed. The part of the pancreas in which the tumor is localized or the entire organ as a whole is removed.

If large vessels are affected and the tumor has significantly spread to neighboring organs, a more complex operation is required. One of the options is pancreaticoduodenal resection or Whipple's operation. In Ukraine, it is performed only in a few clinics, in particular in Oxford Medical. The operation is performed by a highly qualified surgeon who has undergone extensive training in Germany, with more than 30 years of experience.

In some cases, if the disease is diagnosed at a late stage, surgical treatment is performed only to relieve symptoms and prolong life. Some patients may not be eligible for surgery and are prescribed palliative treatment.

Conservative methods for pancreatic cancer are mainly used:

• chemotherapy - prescribed before surgery to reduce the tumor, and after to eliminate remaining cancer cells, prevent relapse and/or treat metastases;
• radiation therapy - also used before and after surgical treatment to stop tumor growth and reduce its size.

Targeted and immune therapy are also sometimes prescribed.

The treatment program for each patient is developed individually. As a rule, it includes several treatment methods that alternate or are carried out simultaneously.

Oxford Medical has created all the conditions for highly accurate diagnostics, as well as surgical and conservative treatment of pancreatic cancer. The clinic has new medical equipment from the best brands and employs top-class doctors with more than 20 years of experience.

To make an appointment for a consultation, call our contact center or write to the chat on the website.