Pancreatic cancer

The disease in the early stages, as a rule, develops asymptomatically. The first early symptom is most often epigastric pain , heaviness and pain in the right hypochondrium, which usually radiates to the lower back. It is oissible to develop jaundice, which is accompanied by severe itching of the skin, dark urine, and discolored feces. Cancer of the body and tail can be accompanied by an increase in the size of the spleen, varicose veins of the esophagus and stomach, and as a consequence - the development of gastrointestinal bleeding. Against the background of a malignant process, the digestive function of the pancreas is disrupted, which can cause bloating and foul-smelling diarrhea.

One of the primary diagnostic methods is an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, which at the initial examination allows determining the presence of a tumor, its size, and spread to neighboring organs, thereby highlighting possible complications.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)detects bile duct obstruction and allows a biopsy to be taken to verify the diagnosis.

A study of the level of the tumor marker CA-19-9, produced in the pancreas, is used as a screening test in a high-risk group and for dynamic monitoring of the course of the disease with an already established diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Diagnostics using spiral computed tomography of the abdominal cavity and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography is performed to clarify the size and location of the tumor and detect metastases..

Surgical treatment is considered in the early stages of the disease, which unfortunately are rarely diagnosed. The volume and type of surgery depend on the tumor's location in the pancreas and on its size.

An alternative to surgical treatment may be the CyberKnife surgical system.

Chemotherapy involves the administration of anticancer drugs to kill or slow down the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy treatment is used alone or in combination with surgical resection.Targeted therapy is a modern treatment method in which drugs and substances affect precisely the mechanisms of tumor cells that promote its growth and spread. The cost of treating pancreatic cancer depends on the scope of the examination, the chosen method of treatment, and the number of days of hospitalization in the clinic.

You can sign up for a preliminary examination and get acquainted with the prices on our website https://www.dobrobut.com/ or using the round-the-clock contact center, whose contacts are listed on the clinic's website.

1. «Рак поджелудочной железы», Minhhuyen Nguyen , MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University.
2. «Рак поджелудочной железы: обновленные рекомендации», 2018 г., Осадчий А.И.
3. «Таргетная терапия при раке поджелудочной железы увеличивает общую выживаемость», Pishvaian, M.J., et al. // Overall survival in patients with pancreatic cancer receiving matched therapies following molecular profiling: a retrospective analysis of the Know Your Tumor registry trial. // The Lancet Oncology, 2020.