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If you’ve recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, you and your family might be overwhelmed with questions and concerns. Your first decision is where to get treatment.
You want a place where you can get the most advanced treatment options available. A place where you are supported by a team of compassionate experts. A place where you are treated as a whole person.
MultiCare Regional Cancer Center is that place. We have the region’s best health care providers in the field of oncology. Our world-class treatment facility offers cutting-edge technology in a welcoming and positive healing environment.
Learn about our comprehensive treatment approach, our cancer care team or more about pancreatic caner in the tabs below.
The pancreas is a large organ behind the stomach that produces enzymes to help the body absorb certain foods, especially fats. Insulin is made in the pancreas, which assists with balancing your blood sugar levels.
Cancer forms in the pancreas when cells develop genetic mutations and form tumors. There are two types of pancreatic cancer tumors. Adenocarcinomas are the most common and are sometimes called exocrine tumors. Cancer that forms in the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas is called endocrine cancer and is very rare.
These and other symptoms may be caused by pancreatic cancer, but other conditions may cause the same symptoms. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:
Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include the following:
There is no proven way to prevent pancreatic cancer, but lowering your risk factors is a good start. Quitting smoking; getting regular exercise; eating a healthy, low-fat, balanced diet and reducing excess weight are all ways you can try to protect yourself.
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect and diagnose for the following reasons:
The process used to find out if cancer cells have spread within and around the pancreas is called staging. Tests and procedures to detect, diagnose and stage pancreatic cancer are usually done at the same time.
In order to plan treatment, it is important to know the stage of the disease and whether or not the pancreatic cancer can be removed by surgery. The following tests and procedures may be used:
One of the following types of surgery may be used to take out the tumor:
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing.
There are two types of radiation therapy:
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.
When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy).
Surgery to remove the pancreas may interfere with the production of pancreatic enzymes that help to digest food. As a result, patients may have problems digesting food and absorbing nutrients into the body. To prevent malnutrition, the doctor may prescribe medicines that replace these enzymes.
In addition to the therapies described above, we offer integrative therapies such as nutritional therapy, physical therapy, yoga, massage and emotional counseling. Many of these therapies are remarkably effective in addressing the side effects of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation by easing tension, reducing pain and improving quality of life.
Chris Chen, MD
Umesh Chitaley, MD
Trevor Dennie, MD
Michael Harris, MD
Sasha Joseph, MD
Jack Keech, DO
Lindsey Martin, ARNP
Nehal Masood, MD
Denise Mitchell, ARNP
Lavanya Sundararajan, MD
Troy Wadsworth, MD