Pancreatic cancer treatment

Currently, cancer of the pancreas is more common, and will soon occupy a leading position in the ranking.

Modern and improved technologies make it possible to treat pancreatic cancer more efficiently and effectively. Advanced therapy techniques should be considered in more detail.

Symptoms of the pathological process

Often, malignant neoplasms of internal organs form without any symptoms.

Signs can be felt already in the last stages of the disease. They are as follows:

1. Painful sensations of a girdle nature in a calm state, which may become less intense when a person assumes a fetal position.
2. Dramatic weight loss is cachexia.
3. Low hemoglobin.
4. Persistent stool disorder.
5. The accumulation of a large amount of fluid in the peritoneum.
6. An increase in the level of bilirubin in the blood.
7. Yellowness of the skin.

The discoloration of the skin is due to squeezing of the gallbladder ducts. This phenomenon interferes with the treatment of the underlying disease, but it cannot be ignored, because if the ducts are completely blocked, the patient may die.

Cancer diagnosis methods

Such a serious pathology cannot be detected visually, when examining a sick person.

Therefore, there are several basic diagnostic measures that are prescribed to a patient with suspected cancer.

It is worth considering them in more detail:

1. Ultrasound examination of internal organs is a technique that makes it possible to understand where the focus of pathology is.
2. Computed tomography is a research method that is characterized by the conduct of X-rays and allows you to carefully examine the problem organ.
3. Magnetic resonance imaging is a diagnostic method based on magnetic radiation. The technique allows you to examine the tissues of the organ and lymph nodes located in the peritoneum. MRI is much more revealing than CT.
4. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a patient examination option that allows consider the neoplasm, the degree of organ damage and the relationship of the pathological process with biliary ways.
5. Positron emission tomography is a modern and one of the most accurate research methods, which is based on the introduction into a vein of a special substance - isotope-labeled sugar. When it accumulates in the organs, you can begin the procedure.
6. Retrograde cholangiography, which is required if the previous version of the examination did not give an accurate picture of the pathology or for some reason was not performed. In this case, doctors pierce the liver and inject a contrast agent into its ducts, which moves to the duodenum. Doctors are closely following the procedure using the ultrasound machine.
7. Laparoscopy is an invasive procedure that requires punctures. Specialists inject the patient with local anesthesia, make a small puncture in the peritoneum and supply gas into it, with which you can separate the organs from one another and move the front abdominal wall away from them. After this, the insides of the peritoneum are examined with a special endoscope inserted through the skin.
8. A biopsy is a procedure that is performed if a neoplasm has been found in a patient. During a biopsy, specialists pinch off a piece of the tumor and carefully examine it under a microscope. Without this procedure, it is impossible to make a final diagnosis.

If the malignancy of the process has been confirmed, then the patient must undergo a diagnosis that reveals metastasis.

This includes CT scans of the lymph nodes, spine, honor, liver and lungs. In addition, a computed tomography scan of the brain will be required.

How to treat pancreatic cancer

Therapy for malignant neoplasms is based on the use of both time-tested treatment options and the latest methods of patient care.

It should be noted that the effectiveness of these methods of treatment has long been tested in practice by a large number of specialists.

Doctors choose the main scheme of therapy taking into account the stage of neglect, the aggressiveness of the process, the state of health of the affected person and the presence of other chronic pathologies.

Whipple technique

A similar operation is prescribed for people with the initial stages of the disease, at a time when the neoplasm is just forming, has not yet grown to a large size and is not moving.

During the procedure, doctors amputate the head of the pancreas, part of the duodenum, part of the stomach or gallbladder. In addition, nearby lymph nodes are also subject to removal.

Due to the fact that tumors most often begin to emerge in the head of the organ, this technique is in demand.

It is considered quite difficult, because it can provoke a number of complications: bleeding of internal organs, pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, infection.

With successful surgical intervention, 70% of patients live longer than 5 years, and 35% - more than 10 years.

Complete resection of the problematic organ

This method is called radical and is used when the cancer is localized in the body of the pancreas, is still latent and has not spread to neighboring territories.

The procedure is usually carried out under general anesthesia and combined with drug therapy.

If the process did not start metastases, then, according to statistics, 65% of patients cross the five-year survival rate.

Distal pancreatic resection

In the event that a neoplasm has formed in the tail of an organ, specialists amputate only the affected area without affecting the head of the pancreas.

This procedure is carried out to combat islet cancer cells. The patient survival rate here is about 55%.

Segmental resection

This operation is appropriate in the case of a diagnosed lesion of the central sections of the organ in question. Pancreatic cancer treatment consists of two stages:

• removal of the affected fragment;
• connection of the tail and head with a special loop.

This type of resection, as segmental, is considered sparing and gives a 62% chance of survival for patients. But such a prognosis can be given only in the complete absence of metastases.

Palliative surgery

They are carried out with advanced forms of the pathological process. Here, doctors are fighting not for survival, but for alleviating the symptoms of malignant neoplasm and for the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract.

The procedure consists of several stages:

• removal of the tumor to prevent its negative effects on nearby organs and nerve endings;
• removal of metastases;
• getting rid of intestinal obstruction and perforation of the pancreas.

After such an operation, doctors cannot give a positive prognosis for patients who develop pancreatic cancer.

Endoscopic stent placement

When doctors diagnose an inoperable tumor, and the bile ducts are practically blocked, they put a special stent that will save the patient from premature death.

A stent is a tube that drains bile either into the small intestine or out into a special container.

Such receivers are produced with a capacity of up to 1 liter and are completely sterile.

Gastric bypass procedure

An indication for performing this type of operation is the presence of a tumor in the body, which interferes with the flow of food from the stomach into the intestines. Doctors have to suture these organs, bypassing the neoplasm.

According to medical statistics, about 32% of patients survive, but must follow a strict diet and take prescribed medications until the end of their days.

Irradiation

The procedure for the impact of special rays on a specific area of ​​the affected organ is prescribed in the following situations:

• to reduce the volume of the neoplasm before its removal;
• in order to consolidate a positive result after surgery;
• reducing the intensity of the oncological process and its negative impact on the patient with cancer inoperability.

This therapy is performed in several steps, with an individual selection of the duration and dose of radiation. The minimum interval between procedures should be 20 days.

Chemotherapy

The procedure is based on taking a certain group of drugs that can prevent the further development of cancer cells.

Such treatment often affects healthy tissues, which provokes dangerous complications.

How to eat for pancreatic cancer

It is very important to explain to the patient the basics of proper nutrition, which is based on avoiding fatty, fried, sour, salty and spicy foods. Food should be liquid, chopped, or pureed.

In addition, it is forbidden to eat food that is too cold or too hot.

In order to eliminate the consequences of poisoning the body with the decay products of the neoplasm, doctors should regularly carry out detoxification measures. Otherwise, the patient will experience nausea and vomiting.

In the event that a person cannot eat on his own, he is prescribed parenteral feeding. The procedure consists in introducing food into the bloodstream using droppers.

You should be aware that pancreatic cancer is a very dangerous disease that may not make itself felt for a long time.

It is not possible to prevent the growth of a neoplasm, but you can try to prevent the development of this process with the help of compliance with certain preventive measures, which patients should be told about by specialists at the annual planned preventive inspections.

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