The life expectancy of the patient diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is usually short and varies from 6 months to 5 years; in fact, this type of tumor is usually only discovered at an advanced stage of the disease, in which the tumor is already very large or has already spread to other organs and tissues.
In the case of early detection of pancreatic cancer, which is very rare, the patient’s survival is greater and, in rare cases, the disease can be cured.
- Pancreatic cancer is usually identified early when an ultrasound or MRI of the abdomen is performed.
- For any other reason.
- And it is clear that the organ is compromised.
- Or when abdominal surgery is performed near that organ and the doctor may see any changes.
Depending on the degree of staging of pancreatic cancer, doctors may recommend surgery, radio and/or chemotherapy, very serious cases are not treated in this way and the patient only receives palliative treatment, which only reduces unpleasant symptoms, thus improving quality of life. .
During this time, it is also recommended to lead a healthy life and enjoy their time with family and friends, at this stage the person can also decide on certain legal procedures, and it is not possible to donate blood or organs, since this type of cancer presents a high risk of developing metastasis and, therefore, this type of donation would not be safe for those who would receive the tissues.
In most cases, pancreatic cancer is incurable because it is identified at a very advanced stage, when several parts of the body are already affected, reducing the effect of treatment.
Therefore, to improve the chances of recovery, it is necessary to identify the cancer at an early stage, while still affecting only a small part of the pancreas, in these cases, surgery is usually performed to remove the affected part of the organs. and then chemotherapy or radiation therapy is done to remove the tumor cells that have been left in place.
See what symptoms of pancreatic cancer and how to treat them.