One of the most aggressive types, it often remains hidden in the early stages of pancreatic cancer. The pancreas is considered an essential organ that shows its prominent participation in both digestion and regulation of the blood sugar level. It also may disturb the functioning and cause serious complications when a tumor originates within this crucial part.
Although pancreatic cancer is considered tough to treat great developments in medical research and treatment have made patients achieve better outcomes. This blog will explain the treatment options for pancreatic cancer, the best hospitals and specialists for treatment, and what you need to know about this condition.
Understanding Pancreatic Cancer It's a gland behind your stomach responsible for the enzymes that help digestion and also those hormones that generally regulate your blood sugar such as insulin. Pancreatic cancer will usually begin within the pancreatic tissues and may have an exocrine or an endocrine appearance.
Some of the most common types of pancreatic cancer are:
Adenocarcinoma: The most common type of exocrine pancreatic cancer, which starts in the ducts of the pancreas.
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETs): These are less common and occur in the endocrine cells of the pancreas.
Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer often presents vague or non-specific symptoms in its early stages making it challenging to diagnose early. Some of the common symptoms include:
- Abdominal pain or discomfort
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Unexplained weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue
- Dark urine
Because these symptoms overlap with many other conditions it's important to seek medical advice if they persist, especially if there is a family history of pancreatic cancer or other risk factors.
Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer
The cause is not known, but many factors may increase your chances of getting pancreatic cancer including:
- Age: It increases with age, especially after the age of 60 years.
- Smoking: The risk is greater among smokers.
- Family History: Family history is a risk factor for developing pancreatic cancer.
- Chronic pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas over a long period. It can increase the risk.
- Obesity: Overweight is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.
- Diabetes: People with diabetes, especially those who develop it later in life, may have an increased risk.
Treatment Options for Pancreatic Cancer
The stages of treatment for pancreatic cancer depend on the type of cancer, the stage, the overall health of the patient, and whether it has spread. Treatment options include surgery chemotherapy radiation therapy targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
- Surgery
Surgery is the main treatment for early-stage pancreatic cancer that hasn't spread to other parts of the body. The extent of surgery depends on the tumor's location:
Whipple procedure: This is, in fact the most usual surgery for this disease because the cancers are situated exactly in the head of the pancreas. Removing parts of the pancreas are one part since the tumor resection must also do with parts of the bile duct, intestine and sometimes with the stomach.
Distal Pancreatectomy: This is performed usually for tumours of the body and tail of the pancreas. This operation removes the tail or the body of the pancreas and, at times the spleen.
Total Pancreatectomy: In a few instances the entire pancreas is removed in the case of widespread cancer across the organ. Surgery is not always an option for all patients, especially if the cancer is diagnosed at a later stage when it has spread.
- Chemotherapy
It mainly uses drugs to kill or inhibit the growth of malignant cells. In the eventuality of advanced disease or immediately following the course of surgery chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer may be opted for. It can thus be combined with other therapeutic options like radiation for better results or offered symptomatically as part of supportive care.
Some chemotherapy drugs used for pancreatic cancer include:
- Gemcitabine (Gemzar)
- FOLFIRINOX (a combination of drugs)
- Capecitabine (Xeloda)
Nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) Chemotherapy can also be given before surgery, which is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy, or after surgery, which is called adjuvant chemotherapy to diminish the risk of recurrence.
- Radiation Therapy
It is a treatment that uses high energy rays to kill or shrink the cancer cells. It is generally combined with chemotherapy in the management of pancreatic cancer, especially in unresectable cases. Radiation can also be used for palliation to decrease pain and other symptoms in advanced cases.
- Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy targets specific genes or proteins in cancer cells to stop their growth. For pancreatic cancer, drugs that target specific molecules involved in cancer cell growth may be used. Some examples of targeted therapies for pancreatic cancer include:
Targeted therapy focuses on specific genes or proteins of the cancer cells to stop their growth. In pancreatic cancer, drugs that target certain molecules involved in the growth of cancer cells may be used. Some examples of targeted therapies for pancreatic cancer include:
Erlotinib (Tarceva)
Olaparib (Lynparza) Target therapies are applied to those patients whose tumors have specific mutations or markers, which make them highly susceptible to such treatments.
- Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy works on the principle of making the body's immune system recognize and attack the cancer cells. While immunotherapy is still a relatively new way of treating pancreatic cancer it has shown promise in some clinical trials. Certain drugs, such as Pembrolizumab, have been tried on limited patients in advanced stages of pancreatic cancer, especially those whose tumors contain specific genetic mutations.
- Palliative Care
In the case of more advanced pancreatic cancers where curative treatment is not possible, the emphasis of palliative care is on symptomatic relief and the improvement of the quality of life. This includes pain management, nutritional support, and dealing with complications such as jaundice or digestive problems. It can also involve surgical or endoscopic stenting to bypass blockages of the bile duct or intestine.
Best Hospitals for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment in India
The country has some of the finest facilities in treatment for pancreatic cancer diagnosis and management. These are advanced options that are instituted with the most recent technologies. Some of the best cancer hospitals for treatments in India include:
- Medanta – The Medicity, Gurgaon
- Apollo Hospitals, Chennai and Delhi
- Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon
- Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai
- Global Hospitals, Mumbai
- Max Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi
These hospitals have experienced oncologists specialized surgical teams and comprehensive cancer care units that provide multidisciplinary care to pancreatic cancer patients.
Conclusion
It is a very complex and challenging disease, but the prognosis can be radically improved by early diagnosis and treatment. Treatment options for pancreatic cancer have come a long way, and state of the art therapies are available for surgery, chemotherapy radiation targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
When diagnosed, either personally or a loved one with pancreatic cancer, the search should be for treatment in a cancer center that offers quality and specialized care. Advanced treatment options and care have made some of the best hospitals in India afford hope and a path to recovery for many patients.
