Guide To Understanding Pancreatic Cancer Stages

Borderline Resectable Tumors

Some pancreatic cancer patients will have borderline resectable tumors. Doctors consider pancreatic tumors to be borderline resectable when the tumor has grown into a major blood vessel, but they believe it can still be removed and the blood vessel rebuilt. Borderline resectable pancreatic tumors cannot have spread to other parts of the patient’s body. They can be touching the portal vein or superior mesenteric vein, but doctors must be able to rebuild the vein after removing the tumor safely. In addition, these tumors can be near or touching the patient’s hepatic artery, but they must not extend to the celiac axis. Finally, borderline resectable tumors can be near or touch the superior mesenteric artery, but they cannot grow into it.

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