|What is pancreatic cancer treatment?|
There are several pancreatic cancer treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer, stage of the cancer which is how much it has spread, age, health tissue and additional personal characteristics. Pancreatic cancer is usually only curable when found in its earlier stage. Other than that, these. Treatment for cancer is seeks to remove the cancer or relieve painful system that the cancer is causing.
Surgery is one of the treatments for pancreas cancer which remove all or part of the pancreas. If a cancer has not metastasized, it is possible to completely cure a patient by surgically removing the cancer from the body. There are three main surgical procedures that are used when it seems possible to remove all of the cancer:
- Whipple procedure
Whipple procedure is the type of surgery most common in cancers of the head of the pancreas. By this surgical, the pancreas head and sometimes the entire organ remove along with a portion of the stomach, duodenum, lymph nodes and other tissue. These procedures are complex and risky with complications such as leaking, infections, bleeding and stomach problems.
- Distal pancreatectomy
Usually this surgical is to treat islet cell or neuroendocrine tumors. The pancreas tail will removed and sometimes part of the body, along with the spleen.
- Total pancreatectomy
If you can live without a pancreas, diabetes often results because the body is no longer produces insulin cells. It will remove the entire pancreas and spleens are removed.
Chemotherapy utilizes chemicals that interfere with the cell division process which damaging proteins or DNA so that cancer cells will commit suicide. Usually this treatment is to treat cancer that has spread or metastasized because the medicine travels throughout the entire body. Other than that, this treatment will target any rapidly dividing cells but the normal cells can usually recover from any chemical-induced damage while cancer cells cannot. Treatment occurs in cycles so the body has time to heal between doses.
The chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer can known as Gemcitabine or Gemzar. It is chemotherapy drugs used to treat pancreatic cancer and it is usually administered intravenously on a weekly basis. Some patient receives this treatment after surgery to kill any cancer cells that were missed to improve their quality of life if the cancer cannot be cured.
This is the treatment to destroy cancer by focusing high-energy rays on the cancer cells. It will damage to the molecules that make up the cancer cells and leads them to commit suicide. Usually radiotherapy can be used as a standalone treatment to shrink a tumor or destroy cancer cells, and it is also used in combination with other cancer treatment.
Radiation treatments for pancreatic cancer are usually given 5 days a week for 5 to 6 weeks. Other than that, radiotherapy or can be palliative, serving to relieve pain or digestive problems when the common bile duct or duodenum is blocked.