Pancreatic cancer can be a challenging condition to both diagnose and treat. But while treatment options were somewhat limited in the past, new pancreatic cancer treatment approaches mean patients with this cancer are living longer than ever before.
Pancreatic Cancer
The pancreas is a gland that produces enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that control blood sugar. This small organ sits behind the stomach and in front of the spine. Pancreatic cancer develops when normal cells in the pancreas lose control and begin to replicate rapidly.
Common pancreatic cancer symptoms include:
- Back pain
- Blood clotting
- Jaundice
- Loss of appetite
- Pain in the upper abdomen
- Unexplained weight loss
Because of the location of the pancreas, pancreatic conditions, including pancreatic cancer, can be hard to diagnose since most patients only begin having symptoms when the cancer is already overgrown.
“If there’s a tumor in the neck of the pancreas, for example, it’s not near anything that will cause symptoms early on,” says Sharona Ross, MD, president of the Society for Robotic Surgery and foregut and hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeon with AdventHealth Tampa. “If it’s at the head of the pancreas and obstructing the common bile duct, symptoms may be noticed earlier due to jaundice, which would likely prompt you to see a doctor. And that’s fortunate, since treatment is most effective when pancreatic cancer is found early before it has spread.”
Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer
For locally advanced pancreatic cancer, chemotherapy is the primary treatment option. However, surgery may still be a treatment option after chemotherapy is completed — since there is evidence that, in many cases, patients tolerate chemo more easily following robotic surgery. Patients recover more quickly and get into chemotherapy sooner, which tends to improve outcomes.
For cancer found early on, surgery can be curative, allowing physicians to remove all of the cancerous cells. In fact, the only chance for a total cure is an operation. And thanks to robotic surgery that allow us to be pretty aggressive in getting the cancer out, patients are doing better and surviving longer.
Whipple Procedure
One important pancreatic cancer surgery is the Whipple procedure for pancreatic head cancer. Using minimally invasive techniques, the Whipple procedure allows surgeons to use small incisions to remove the cancerous tissue.
And Dr. Ross has only good things to say. “The fact that we even have a support group today for pancreatic and esophageal cancer patients who were treated eight to 10 years ago — and who are still in remission — speaks volumes.”
Support Through Pancreatic Cancer
If you’ve been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, you’re not alone. The expert team at AdventHealth is here to fight alongside you with whole-person treatment and a chance at a cure. Learn more.
About Dr. Ross
Board-certified advanced Foregut and HPB surgeon, Dr. Ross has garnered nearly 20 years of vast knowledge and professional experience in her field. A frontrunner in her specialty, she also serves as Director of the Advanced GI and HBP Surgery Fellowship at AdventHealth Tampa Digestive Institute, which trains new surgeons to master minimally invasive complex operations.
