Pancreatic Cancer 101: What You Need To Know

Treatments

The difficult thing with getting adequate treatments for pancreatic cancer is it is usually diagnosed at more advanced stages, which may mean some options will not be too effective. Some patients opt to go straight for palliative care, which means treatment is aimed at keeping the patient comfortable. Side effects, like pain or nausea, are treated, but nothing is done to eliminate the tumor.

If an individual chooses to undergo surgery for pancreatic cancer, a medical team may decide on something called ablation or embolization. These types of surgery have a goal of destroying the tumors, which can be accomplished by trying to cut off their blood and nutrient supply, or by using extreme temperatures.

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