WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF PANCREATIC CANCERS?

Regionally Advanced Cancers

Pancreatic cancer, particularly affecting individuals in their advanced years, is a stealthily progressing disease, making early diagnosis a life-saver. Among the most lethal cancers, pancreatic cancers generally threaten individuals over 60 years of age. If diagnosed early, patients can regain their former health with the Whipple procedure. This condition, suitable for surgical intervention, can recur after treatment. After surgery, the disease's recurrence can be prevented for a certain period by the patient undergoing chemotherapy. Methods preferred to extend the lifespan of patients undergoing chemotherapy should be performed by specialist physicians in the field. These cancers, which have different types, can be classified according to their spread.

Recurrent Cancer Types

Pancreatic cancer can progress regionally. In this type, although the malignant tumor has not spread to other organs, it has spread to surrounding blood vessels and tissues. This type is not suitable for surgical intervention. To treat the disease, the small intestine can be intervened with a bypass procedure, or bile ducts can be opened. In the case of widespread pancreatic cancers, the tumor may spread to other organs of the body. In these tumors that spread to other organs of the body such as bones, the abdominal cavity, brain, or liver, chemotherapy is applied, and as a result of this process, the tumor is shrunk, extending the patient's lifespan. Pancreatic cancer can recur. Cancers falling into this type are called recurrent pancreatic cancer. Cancer cells that recur in the same or nearby regions after surgery usually occur first in the liver. In such cases, the treatment method applied for metastatic cancer is preferred. Since such surgeries require extremely delicate procedures, the surgeon's skill is of great importance. The equipment used in surgeries requiring extreme care also holds a special importance.