Pancreatic Cancer Surgery

For people with pancreatic cancer, surgery may be used to remove the tumor or to help treat symptoms of the disease. Surgery can only be used to cure pancreatic cancer when the disease is found at an early stage. There are three types of pancreatic cancer surgery used to remove the tumor: the Whipple procedure, distal pancreatectomy, and total pancreatectomy. If the cancer has spread and cannot be removed, surgery may be done to relieve symptoms of the disease. In such cases, surgical options may include surgical biliary bypass, endoscopic stent placement, and gastric bypass.

Pancreatic Cancer Treatments

Pancreatic Cancer Surgery: An Overview

In cases of pancreatic cancer, surgery may be used to treat or cure the disease.

Pancreatic cancer can only be cured if the cancer is found at an early stage (before it has spread) and only if the patient is healthy enough to have surgery. If the cancer has spread and cannot be removed, palliative pancreatic cancer surgery may be done to relieve symptoms of the disease.

In this eMedTV article, the term "pancreatic cancer" refers to cancer that begins in the ducts that carry pancreatic juices (exocrine cells). This type of cancer accounts for about 95 percent of all cases of pancreatic cancer.

(Click Pancreatic Islet Cell Cancer for information about surgery and other treatment options for a less common type of pancreatic cancer.)

Pancreatic cancer surgery is a major operation. The extent of pancreatic cancer surgery will depend on factors such as:

The location and size of the tumor
The stage of the cancer (see Stages of Pancreatic Cancer)
The patient's general health.

(Pancreatic Cancer Surgery Continued: Page 2)