Pancreatic cancer (pancreatic cancer) and its treatment are three different possibilities in question are combined in part with each other: surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy (radiation). Surgical therapy is the most important form of therapy. She is the only treatment for pancreatic cancer promises a chance for cure. Following an operation should take place six months of chemotherapy.

If there are already further relocation of the tumor in distant organs or lymph nodes) before (distant metastases, it will no longer operate normally. In metastatic pancreatic cancer, palliative therapy is used, which is to preserve the life or improve. A cure is not possible in these advanced cases. Palliative treatment consists of chemotherapy or) a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy (radiochemotherapy.

Operation

For pancreatic cancer, only the operation promises a cure. The sooner the pancreatic cancer is detected, the better the chances of recovery. As long as the tumor has not exceeded the limits of the pancreas, can be operated on. In some cases this is also where neighboring organs are affected already. The age of the person concerned the decision to play for pancreatic cancer surgery does not matter insofar as the general health did not speak against such an intervention (eg, severe heart, lung or liver disease). The exact extent of an individual operation depends on the extent of the tumor, its location in the pancreas (pancreatic head cancer, pancreatic body or tail of pancreas cancer tumor) and the histological tumor type from.

During an operation the surgeon will remove the tumor and healthy tissue, and this fitting adjacent lymph nodes. Such removal "of healthy tissue," its purpose is to reduce the risk further, malignant tumor cells that remain in the abdominal area. The pancreas is removed while depending on the findings in part or as a whole. Also, the (partial) removal of other organs may be necessary:

• Gallbladder
• Part of the bile ducts
• Duodenum (duodenum)
• Part of the stomach
• Spleen

If possible, be preserved in an operation part of the pancreas. This is especially important because in a complete loss of the organ which is now missing hormones and digestive enzymes in the pancreas are replaced by those affected by drugs would have. The pancreas is completely removed, produced an insulin deficiency, one diabetes mellitus (diabetes) requires. Like many diabetics, the person would have after the operation, his blood glucose concentration by regular insulin injections to keep within normal limits. The usually produced by the pancreas, digestive enzymes must be taken after the removal of the organ in the form of capsules with meals. To learn the proper use of enzymes and control of blood glucose with insulin to diabetics are in-depth nutritional counseling and training is recommended.