Surgery for the removal of pancreatic cancer is a therapeutic alternative considered by many oncologists as the only form of treatment actually capable of curing pancreatic cancer, however, this cure is only possible when the cancer is diagnosed in its early stages.
Pancreatic cancer is more common after age 60 and is very aggressive and has a survival rate of about 20% in 10 years after diagnosis, even when the person has only a small pancreatic adenocarcinoma without affected lymph nodes. Patients with metastasis or an irresectable tumor have a half-life expectancy of as little as 6 months, so as soon as this disease is discovered it is necessary to perform tests and schedule surgery to increase the chances of recovery and extend the patient’s life.
The main types of surgery to remove pancreatic cancer
In addition to these surgeries, there are palliative procedures that are used when the cancer is already very advanced and include surgeries to treat symptoms and not to cure the disease. Chemotherapy has a very limited action, mainly used to mitigate the consequences and improve the quality of life of patients who cannot be operated on or who have metastases.
To prepare for surgery to remove the pancreatic tumor, some tests are needed to help identify if other areas affected by the tumor, such as multisensor tomography of the abdomen, nuclear MRI, ultrasound, positron emission tomography, and laparoscopy are recommended.
The length of stay in the hospital depends on the person’s overall health. The person usually undergoes surgery and can return home in less than 10 days, but if there are complications, if the person needs to be re-surgery, the hospital may take longer.