What is the pancreas?

The pancreas is one of our vital organs placed deep in our abdomen. It is considered a workhouse for our digestive system which helps in breaking down the proteins, fats, and sugars in our food.

How common is pancreatic cancer?

According to Cancer specialist in Bhopal, Dr Atul Kumar Samaiya, One of the most common forms of pancreatic cancer is adenocarcinoma. This type of cancer goes a long time without being noticed and thus, it is difficult for an individual to diagnose it early. Often, when cancer reaches stage 3 or 4, it gets diagnosed. Also, it is the third most common cause of cancer-related death. 

What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

Some of the most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer include:

• Unexplained and sudden weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Jaundice
• Abdominal pain
• Pain in the upper abdomen
• New onset of diabetes
• Diarrhoea

How pancreatic cancer is diagnosed?

There are many ways of diagnosing pancreatic cancer. Below are some of the most common ways of diagnosing, which include:

• CT scan of the abdomen with pancreatic protocol: In this particular test, radiologists use IV contrast to see the growth of the pancreatic tumour. Sometimes patients get to know that they have a mass in their pancreas and it’s not related to cancer at all.
• ERCP and EUS: ERCP or Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography and EUS or Endoscopic Ultrasound are the procedures that require the use of a long winding, flexible instrument that has a camera that is placed through the mouth to have a look at the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum. This makes them look through the inner lining of the organ and they even take little pieces of tissue for biopsy.
• CA19-9: This test is often referred to as Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 which is a complex molecule in the blood. This is also called as a tumour marker. It is checked out early for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
• Diagnostic laparoscopy: This is a short operation that is conducted under general anaesthesia. The surgeons use a camera through a small incision made at the belly to look inside the abdomen for bits of tumour in the abdominal cavity.

Can it be treated surgically?

There’s an operation to remove pancreatic cancer which is referred to as pancreatoduodenectomy. This operation is one of the most complex operations that exist in the medical world. It requires 6 to 10 hours to operate and even requires at least a week in the hospital to recover. If you notice that you are facing some signs related to pancreatic cancer, then you must consult the best oncologist in Bhopal to get rid of it.