The type of pancreatic cancer treatment received depends on several factors such as the type of cancer, patient’s age and fitness level, general health and the stage of the cancer.  As the operation to remove pancreatic cancer is major, the patient’s general fitness and health are important in order to adequately recover.  Fitness level includes age, however this is not the only factor and the medics will not decide solely upon age.

Treatment will be offered by a multidisciplinary team of specialists including chemotherapists and radiotherapists (oncologists), specialist surgeons, psychologists, nurses, dietitians and other professionals.  They work together to deliver the best treatment and care. 

Sadly, most pancreatic cancer diagnosis is too late for surgery to be successful as the tumor is too big or has spread.  Surgery to remove cancer of the pancreas is complicated and long, hence patient health and fitness is critically important. The doctors will firstly do tests to determine if total removal of the tumor is possible and if so, surgery will be offered.  If however the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, then surgery to excise will unfortunately not cure the patient as the cancer will return making the effort of surgery pointless.  Even if surgery will offer a likely cure, sometimes cancerous cells can break away and enter the blood stream to be carried elsewhere in the body so even if the total pancreatic tumor is removed, it still doesn’t guarantee that the cancer won’t return.  Chemotherapy may be offered post-surgery in order to reduce the chances of it returning. 

Surgery can be conducted to relieve pancreas cancer symptoms such as jaundice.  A tube called a stent is inserted to relieve this or surgery can relieve blockages in the digestive system that may be caused by the cancer.  The duodenum (part of the small bowel) is susceptible to blockage from this type of cancer and so surgery can go around this to aid the digestive system’s continued functioning.

Pancreatic cancer symptoms can be quite general.  The most common type of pancreatic cancer are exocrine tumors.  There is a rarer type that produces hormones which are called endocrine pancreatic tumors.  The symptoms of this are quite specific depending on the hormone produced by the tumor.

Firstly, exocrine tumors can include weight loss, back pain, jaundice and weight loss.  The majority of patients experience jaundice at the first visit to the doctor.  Symptoms of this are yellowing of the whites of the eyes and the skin, darker urine, extreme itching and pale colored feces. 

Other symptoms of pancreatic cancer include sickness, diabetes, a change in bowl movements, shivering and fever.  There are many different types of cancer all manifesting different symptoms such as mesothelioma cancer which is a is a completely different type of cancer and caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma symptoms can be general like chest pain, shortness of breath and a persistent cough as it manifests in the lungs.

Sadly, pancreatic cancer prognosis is not good.  Once the patient is diagnosed with this condition, they are usually only expected to live five to eight months.  However, 20% of patients will live to one year. The pancreatic cancer life expectancy for patients living over five years is very low, at 5%.  These figures are devastating indeed and it is no wonder that this form of cancer is the leading cause of death in the world claiming the lives of 1% of the population of the USA.  Successful pancreatic cancer treatment is low due to the vague nature of the initial symptoms.
 

With advancement in research there are many breast cancer treatment options to choose from and the one you are offered depends on certain factors.  Scientists have recently claimed that they have discovered a new route to a potential breast cancer cure.  Currently there are combinations of treatments available.  The main treatments are surgery, hormone therapy, biological (Herceptin), radiotherapy and chemotherapy.  These may be given individually or in combination depending on several factors such as:

the type of breast cancer present
whether menopause has occurred or not
the size of the tumor
the grade of the cancer cells
the stage of the cancer
whether particular receptors are present
the general health of the patient

All these factors will be taken into account by the doctor. 

Cancers are given stages and grades to help doctors categorize and assess the tumor and to decide the appropriate treatments to give.  Breast cancer stages consider whether the cancer has spread and how much it has grown.  The grade means how the cancer cells appear  when viewed through a microscope.  There are three grades namely, low (grade 1 slow growing), intermediate grade (grade 2) and high grade (grade 3) which is a rapidly growing tumor.  These have a higher risk of returning after initial treatment and if surgery has taken place to excise the tumor, a course of chemotherapy will likely be administered to destroy any lingering cancer cells and therefore reduce the risk of it returning.   The grades and stages of breast cancer give a general rule of thumb as it is impossible to generalize about how a tumor will behave.

If the cancer has spread beyond the localized breast area and lymph nodes in the armpit then treatment my not include surgery but a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in conjunction with other treatments. The majority of people however start their treatment with surgery and there are different types of surgery that maybe offered depending on the position and size of the tumor.  A mastectomy is where the whole breast is removed with a reconstruction possible later on.  A lumpectomy is where the tumor itself is removed along with a small amount of surrounding breast tissue.  Then course of radiotherapy focused on the breast will likely be offered. 

There are many factors to consider when choosing treatment and mostly is is about how the patient feels about their options once a selection of appropriate treatments is offered.  There are no correct or incorrect answers to these decisions and each woman feels differently.  It can feel overwhelming to have a whole breast removed, so, if possible, a lumpectomy with radiotherapy is preferable for some women. Some feel they do not want radiotherapy but others will choose this if it leads to retaining their breast. 

There are different types of breast cancer and different types of cancers altogether.  Mesothelioma cancer is a completely different type of cancer and caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma symptoms can be general like chest pain, shortness of breath and a persistent cough.   Symptoms of breast cancer however, are more specific and things to look out for include a dimpling of the skin, change in breast shape or size, a thickening or lump in one area of the breast, irregular nipple shape especially if it turns inward like it’s being pulled from the inside, a rash on the nipple or area surrounding, nipple discharge (blood-stained), a lump or swelling in the armpit.

There are many breast cancer facts, features, symptoms and breast cancer treatment options to be aware of, but advancing knowledge and research means there are many options available to those suffering from this disease.