Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect and diagnose early. This is because in the early stages of pancreatic cancer there are no signs or symptoms and when they do appear, they are similar to the signs of many other diseases. If the doctor finds pancreatic cancer, the patient will have more tests to find out if the cancer has spread from the pancreas to the tissues around it or to other parts of the body. This process of testing is called staging, and it helps the doctor plan the patient’s treatment.

The pancreas is hidden behind other organs such as the stomach, small intestine, liver, gallbladder, spleen and bile ducts. Endocrine cell function is responsible for producing and secreting two important hormones, including insulin and glucagon. The exocrine function is the production of pancreatic juice. Tests that examine the pancreas are used to detect, diagnose and in staging pancreatic cancer. The process used to determine whether cancer cells have spread within and around the pancreas is called staging. It is important to know the stage of the disease and whether pancreatic cancer can be removed through surgery in order to plan the best treatment. The information below shows and describes the five stages of pancreatic cancer:

• Stage I - cancer is found in the pancreas only.
• Stage II - The cancer has spread to surrounding tissue and organs such as bile ducts or the small intestine.
• Stage III - Cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the pancreas and may have affected the surrounding tissue and organs such as bile ducts or the small intestine.
• Stage IV – Cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This stage is divided into stage IVA and stage IVB, based on where the cancer has spread.
  • Stage IVA: Cancer has spread to organs and tissues surrounding the pancreas. The cancer may have affected the lymph nodes near the pancreas.
  • State IVB: Cancer has spread to distant organs like lungs.

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Notice that at stage II cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes near the pancreas. This indicates that the early stages, are favorable for cancer treatment. Another stage is the recurrent pancreatic cancer. This one has recurred after treatment has been administered. It may return in the pancreas or other body part. Treatment options may vary. In the early stage the affected area can be removed. Alternative treatments are chemotherapy, radiotherapy and palliative surgery to clear the blocked areas in the ducts or the small intestine. There are also other palliative medical measures that can be taken at advanced stages and to reduce symptoms such as nerve blocks to alleviate the pain. To understand this last treatment you must know the meaning. When we talk about palliative medical measures we refer to a medical specialty that focuses on terminally ill patients. These would be patients like those with a terminal illness and whose health has deteriorated to the point of requiring continuing care. When you get to these stages of pancreatic cancer it unfortunately becomes inoperable and is more a case of making life as comfortable as possible for the sufferer.