Roughly 175 people living in the U.S. are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every day, making it the tenth most diagnosed cancer in the country. Because the disease often spreads (metastasizes) during later stages, it’s important to get diagnosed and treated as early as possible. Speak with a Bayhealth expert about treatment options for pancreatic cancer.
How Pancreatic Cancer Affects You
Located between the stomach and spine, your pancreas creates vital hormones (such as insulin and glucagon) that manage your blood-sugar levels. It also creates important enzymes that aid in digestion. Cancer occurs when abnormal cells develop in the pancreas and begin to grow out of control, eventually forming a mass (tumor). As the cancer grows, it hinders the functioning of the pancreas, potentially causing several physical symptoms, such as:
- Jaundice, which includes yellowing of the skin and eyes
- Changes in the color and consistency of stool
- Dark urine
- Loss of appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- Pain in the abdomen or back
- Nausea
- Fatigue
Risk Factors & Prevention
While the exact causes of pancreatic cancer remain unclear to medical experts, several factors are thought to increase your risk for developing the disease. Those factors include:
- Diabetes: The risk of pancreatic cancer is higher for people with long-standing diabetes.
- Tobacco Use: Whether you’re currently a smoker or quit smoking years ago, a history of tobacco use increases your risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
- Race: For unclear reasons, pancreatic cancer rates are slightly higher among African Americans and individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
- Gender: Pancreatic cancer occurs slightly more among men than women.
- Age: Anyone over 60 years old is at a comparatively higher risk for developing pancreatic cancer.
- Diet: Poor dietary habits, such as high consumption of red and/or processed meats, has been linked to cancer of the pancreas.
- Obesity: Excess body weight can put you at greater risk for pancreatic cancer.
Family and Personal History
A family history of pancreatic cancer can increase the risk that you will develop the disease at some point in your life. In clinical partnership with Penn Medicine’s Telegenetics Program, Bayhealth provides genetic counseling services to our patients. Using video-conferencing software that can be accessed on our Kent and Sussex campuses, genetic counselors from the Abramson Cancer Center will discuss your personal and family history with you and make genetic testing recommendations. These tests provide insight into your cancer risks and help our multidisciplinary medical team to determine the best treatment plan for your condition. To learn more about our telegenetics program or to participate, call us at 302-674-4401.
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How We Diagnose Pancreatic Cancer
Because the pancreas is located behind the stomach, our experts will need to use advanced imaging tests to identify signs of cancer. Those imaging tests include:
- Computerized Tomography (CT): Certified experts use computer-processed X-rays to generate a scan of your body in “slices” to create highly accurate images.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): A combination of a magnetic field and radio waves creates three-dimensional images of specific areas of your body to determine if disease or physical abnormalities are present.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan: A member of our team injects you with a radioactive substance (called a tracer). The tracer is then absorbed by cancer cells in your body, making the cells viewable through imaging scans.
- Abdominal Ultrasound: High-energy sound waves are bounced off your internal tissues and organs, creating a detailed image (sonogram) of your abdomen.
- Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS): A tube-like instrument is inserted into your body through your mouth or rectum, where it bounces high-energy sound waves off your internal tissues and organs, creating a detailed image (sonogram).
Other procedures that may be used to diagnose pancreatic cancer include:
- Laparoscopy: Small incisions are made in the abdomen through which a thin tube with a video camera (laparoscope) can be inserted. This allows our cancer experts to examine your pancreas for signs of disease. The laparoscope may also be equipped with an ultrasound probe to create sonogram images of your organs.
- Biopsy: A sample of tissue is extracted from the pancreas to be examined in a pathology lab. A biopsy may also be taken during a laparoscopy.
Treatment Options
Our multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to outline a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Experts from a range of specialties will discuss your condition and determine the best plan of action. Factors we consider when developing your treatment plan include the stage and location of the cancer and your personal medical history.
Treatments for pancreatic cancer include the following.
Medical Therapy
Our board-certified oncologists prescribe your medical therapy, and our highly trained nursing staff administers that therapy intravenously, orally, or through injection.
Among the medical treatments we provide are the following.
● Targeted Drug Therapy: This type of cancer treatment uses drugs to “target” cancer cells without affecting normal cells.
● Chemotherapy: This drug treatment uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cancer cells in your body.
● Immunotherapy: This treatment option boosts your immune system, empowering it to fight and destroy cancer cells.
Radiation Therapy
Our team of board-certified radiation oncologists may use external beam radiation in combination with other treatments to address your cancer. Employing sophisticated technology, our therapists concentrate high-energy beams of radiation on the precise parts of your body affected by disease. This safe and accurate procedure may be administered routinely over a period of days or weeks.
Surgical Approaches
If your cancer can be diagnosed before it has spread (metastasized) to surrounding tissues or lymph nodes, our experts may be able to remove the tumor through surgical resection.
Learn more about treatment options for cancer.
Support Services
Before, during, and after your cancer treatments, our experts remain dedicated to improving your quality of life. Our care team supports you in establishing healthy routines that help you stay in control of your daily symptoms. We also host support groups that provide patients and families opportunities to connect and share their experiences — because a strong network of support can help to make the realities of cancer more manageable.
- Cancer Support Community: A statewide non-profit organization, the Cancer Support Community, is dedicated to helping people manage the emotional aspects of their cancer journey. Learn more about the Cancer Support Community.
Explore our classes, events, and support groups.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that test cutting-edge drugs, procedures, and technologies with the purpose of establishing new or better ways of treating cancer. The skilled nurses in our Clinical Research Program can help you find clinical trial options for your specific cancer.
Speak with a Bayhealth expert about cancer treatment options.