Serious Options For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a form of treatment that may be necessary for many patients who develop pancreatic cancer. It refers to the use of potent medications to kill cells in the body in a state of rapid growth or cell division. Chemotherapy may be used independent from surgery, before a surgical procedure to remove cancer from the pancreas, or after a surgical procedure to remove cancer from the pancreas. Chemotherapy can also be administered with radiation therapy in patients who are unable to undergo surgery to remove their pancreatic tumors. In the case of pancreatic cancers, chemotherapy is most effective when a patient receives two or more different types of drugs given together. While the exact details of the administration of chemotherapy may differ from one case to the next, treatment regimens include a duration of two to three weeks of several sessions a week followed by a rest period before the cycle is repeated. While chemotherapy is one of the most effective methods of treatment for pancreatic cancer, it does carry unpleasant side effects some patients cannot tolerate.

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Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a type of treatment that may be used to treat pancreatic cancer. It kills cancer cells and stops them from growing through the use of high energy particles or x-rays. The high energy x-ray or particle beams are aimed from different angles at the affected part of the body with an external machine for a certain amount of time. Some pancreatic cancer patients may receive radiation therapy following their surgery to reduce the risk of their cancer returning. Radiation therapy following surgery may also be used simultaneously with chemotherapy in patients who can tolerate the side effects. An individual who has a pancreatic tumor that is only partially removable by surgery may receive radiation therapy to try and shrink the tumor so more or all of it can be removed surgically. Patients who have pancreatic cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body may have high-dose radiation therapy in combination with high dose chemotherapy to help prolong their life or alleviate some of the pain and symptoms caused by the tumors.

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