Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Methods

What is Pancreatic Cancer?

Before explaining what pancreatic cancer is, it would be more appropriate to answer questions such as what is the pancreas and what does it do. The pancreas is an organ in the form of a gland, approximately 15 cm in size. It is considered part of the digestive system. It is located behind the stomach and liver in the body. The most important function of the pancreas is to digest the food consumed and, at the same time, to keep the glucose obtained from the food at the required levels in the blood. The slightest damage to the pancreas, which undertakes many other important tasks besides these, can affect the entire body. For detailed information, you can review the page. Pancreatic cancer is referred to as malignant masses that tend to proliferate in any part of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancers develop due to mutational changes in the pancreatic DNA. Cancer that occurs in this organ can develop in all parts of the organ, but it is most commonly seen spreading in the head region. The most common type of cancer among pancreatic cancers is adenocarcinoma. This type of cancer progresses very rapidly and has the characteristic of metastasizing to surrounding tissues. It originates from aggressive cells.

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

In the early stages, a tumor developing in the pancreas shows no symptoms. This is one of the factors that make diagnosis difficult. Pancreatic cancers begin to show symptoms after metastasizing to surrounding organs. Symptoms can be listed as follows: abdominal pain radiating to the back, darkening of urine, jaundice in the eyes, weight loss, and itching. Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Methods Surgical Treatment Methods: If the tumor is suitable for removal, the Whipple procedure is applied. If the tumor is located in the tail or body, a simpler resection method is applied. Radiation Therapy: This is the process of using high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. The treatment affects only the cells in the cancerous area. Chemotherapy: The aim is to destroy cancer cells using anti-cancer drugs. It is applied to patients with pancreatic cancer based on their general condition before and after surgery.