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Ellis Fischel Cancer Center 115 Business Loop 70 W. Columbia, MO 65203 (573) 882-2100 About Clinical Trials Directions Disease Sites Ellis Fischel Gala Ellis Magazine E-mail a Patient E-mail Us Employment Gift Shop Guest House Index A to Z Make a Gift Margaret Proctor Mulligan     Breast Health Center Phone Numbers Physician Information Support Groups Treatment Programs Submit Comments

Pancreatic Cancer

Approximately 28,000 cases of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas are diagnosed annually in the United States, including nearly 500 cases in Missouri. Pancreatic cancer is particularly difficult to treat since it often presents at an advanced stage. Many patients come to a physician's attention because of jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), but some will have one or more vague symptoms such as weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite and upper abdominal pain.

The only chance for cure in patients with pancreatic cancer is the removal of that portion of the pancreas containing the cancer. The so-called "Whipple" procedure (which involves removal of the pancreatic head, together with part of the stomach, duodenum and bile duct) is the most commonly performed operation for pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, many patients present at a stage where surgical resection is not feasible. This is usually because the tumor already has spread to other areas, such as the liver or lymph nodes, or because the tumor involves major intestinal blood vessels. It is important to have a surgeon or oncologist with expertise in the treatment of pancreatic tumors evaluate a patient to assess resectability accurately.

In cases of advanced pancreatic cancer where the tumor cannot be removed surgically, other treatment modalities are available to help improve the patient's quality of life and prolong survival. Placement of biliary stents or surgical bypass will relieve jaundice and the associated itching. Radiation therapy can be applied to locally advanced tumors to help reduce pain. Chemotherapy has been used alone and with radiation to slow tumor progression. Recently approved for use is a new chemotherapy agent, gemcitabine, which has been shown to improve patient well-being and survival when compared with conventional chemotherapy.

At Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas are evaluated by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, medical oncologists and radiation therapists. This multidisciplinary approach is based on evidence that chemotherapy and radiation can improve survival when used in conjunction with surgical resection. At Ellis Fischel, patients with resectable and unresectable cancers of the pancreas are eligible for conventional therapy as well as a number of available protocols. One of these protocols involves the chemotherapuetic agent gemcitabine in combination with external beam radiation therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Patients who respond to the treatment are then re-evaluated for consideration of surgical resection.