Treatment of Pancreatic cancer

  • Pancreatic Cancer
    The early stages of this cancer do not usually produce symptoms, so the disease is generally advanced when it is diagnosed. Its often referred to as a "silent killer". The estimated 5-year prevalence of people in the world living with pancreatic cancer is 4.1 per 100,000. This cancer is almost always fatal.
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 6 January 2018
Image of Pancreas in human body

The following are the standard treatment protocols for pancreatic cancer. The combination of treatment choices would depend on the specific case and the staging of the cancer.

  • Chemotherapy : can be given before (neoadjuvant) or after (adjuvant) surgery to shrink the tumor. It can also be used to destroy cancer cells that may have spread. It can be given along with radiation called chemoradiotherapy. One or multiple drugs may be given in combination for better efficacy. Commonly used drugs for pancreatic cancer include (only generic names are mentioned):
    • 5-fluorouracil
    • Gemcitabine
    • Capecitabine
    • Irinotecan
    • Cisplatin
    • Oxaliplatin
    • Paclitaxel
    • Docetaxel
       
  • Radiation: can be given to reduce the chances of cancer recurring. It can be given in low does over several 5-6 weeks or high doses in over 5 days.
     
  • Surgery: involves removing part(distal pancreatectomy or Whipple procedure) or the entire pancreas (total pancreatectomy)subject to the tumor size and location. Usually some area around the tumor is also excised to ensure no cancer cells have been left behind; this is called “clearing the margins”.
     
  • Ablation: kills tumors by extreme heat or cold probes.
     
  • Embolization: obstruct blood flow into the tumor thus starving/killing cancer cells.
  • Targeted therapy targets specific genes in the cancer cells and halts their growth. Erlotinib in combination with Gemcitabie is used for advanced cancer. Larotrectinib targets the NTRK gene in patients where no other treatment has worked.
  • Immunotherapy relies on strengethening the body's natutal defence system to fight tha cancer. Checkpoint inhibitors such as Pembrolizumab is often used for pancreatic cancers.

 

Recommend reading: Interview with Dr. Shailesh Shrikhande of Tata Memorial, Mumbai on the latest treatment and management options for Pancreatic Cancer

 

Community
Kidney, Urinary, Gastro Intestinal, Liver
Cancer
Condition
Pancreatic Cancer
Changed
Fri, 01/25/2019 - 09:31

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