The pancreas is a small organ present in the abdomen that releases special hormones and enzymes that aid digestion. Cancer that starts developing in the tissues of the pancreas is known as pancreatic cancer. This type of cancer rapidly spreads to the nearby organs and is seldom diagnosed in the early stages.

Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
If your medical expert suspects pancreatic cancer, he may ask you to go through one of the following tests:

• Imaging that creates pictures of your internal organs
• Endoscopic ultrasound for getting the images of your pancreas
• Biopsy that involves removing a tissue sample for testing
• Blood test

Once the doctor confirms the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, he then tries to determine the extent of spread. He assigns a particular stage to cancer that is useful for identifying the most suitable line of treatment.

Treatment for pancreatic cancer
Treatment for pancreatic cancer depends upon a variety of factors such as your age and overall health, stage, and location of the cells. In every case, the primary goal of treatment is to eliminate the cancer completely. If not possible, the treatment is aimed at reducing the severity of symptoms and improving the quality of life.

Some common treatment options available include:

Surgery
Many times, doctors recommend undergoing surgery . Most commonly performed surgeries are:

• Surgery for removing tumors in the pancreatic head
• Surgery for removing tumors in the pancreatic body and tail
• Surgery to remove the entire pancreas
• Surgery for tumors affecting the nearby blood vessels

All of these pancreatic surgeries are quite extensive and involve a long recovery period. Most patients experience vomiting, nausea and the risk of bleeding and infection long after the surgery is done.

Chemotherapy
This is a technique that involves the use of certain medications to kill the cancer cells in the body. These medicines may be directly injected into the vein or administered in the form of pills.

This treatment option is generally prescribed to patients suffering from an advanced stage of cancer to prevent the further growth of cancer cells.

Radiation therapy
In this, X-rays or high-energy beams are used to kill the cancer cells in the body. This technique may be used after pancreatic tumor surgery or in combination with chemotherapy.

Clinical trials
These are basically medical evaluations and assessments to try the latest treatments, such as systemic therapy or advanced approaches to radiation therapy. If any of the new treatments is deemed to be more effective and safe for the patient, it can become the new standard of care.

Palliative care
This is a specialized line of treatment that aims at offering effective relief from the pain and other symptoms. Palliative care can also be used while a patient is undergoing aggressive treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery.

With timely diagnosis and the afore-mentioned treatments, you will be able to lead a more fulfilling life, despite pancreatic cancer.