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.
 

Stage 4 lung cancer can means 3 things namely, that the cancer has spread to both lungs; it has spread to another area of the body like the bones or liver; it has lead to a collection of fluid around the heart or lung containing cancerous cells. This is called a pericardial effusion (heart) or malignant pleural effusion (lungs).

Pleural effusion is when fluid builds up between pleura or membranes that surround the outside of each lung. When the lungs expand and contract with breathing, the fluid takes up the space making it extremely hard to breath using a full lung capacity therefore resulting in breathlessness. When fluid is extracted, it is tested for cancer cells and if detected this is considered lung cancer stage 4. The presence of fluid does not necessarily mean the cancer has spread and if the fluid does not contain cancerous cell this does not count towards the 4^th stage of cancer. Pleural effusion is just one of the several factors that medical professionals consider when deciding the stage.

Stage 4 lung cancer prognosis and treatment depends largely on the stage, the histological type of cancer and the patient’s performance status (a measure of the general well being and therefore tolerance to treatment). The most likely treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.

There are two main types of lung cancer – small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The treatment varies depending on which one is diagnosed so the distinction is important. Stage 4 lung cancer life expectancy varies greatly from person to person such as:

patient’s age – younger patients are more likely to live longer than older patients.

type of lung cancer and its location – within stage 4 there are several types of lung cancer which may have stayed in one place or spread to one or several locations.

general health when diagnosed – those with good all round health are expected to live longer. Survival can be extended with the ability to stand up to treatments.

sex of the patient – female sufferers have a higher life expectancy at each stage of lung cancer.

response to treatments – people respond differently to the side effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapies. If there is a low tolerance to these side effects then treatment could be limited.

lung cancer complications such as blood clots can reduce life expectancy.

additional health conditions for example, asthma or emphysema.

Statistically, the life expectancy of stage 4 NSCLC is sadly only about 8 months. The five year lung cancer survival rate (the amount of patients expected to live to five years after a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer) is less than 10%. However, bear in mind that although lung cancer is not usually curable but it is treatable.

Staging cancer helps doctors assess the extent that a cancer has spread. Scans and tests carried out to help diagnose the cancer provide information about the stage however, an operation maybe the only way to obtain a definitive answer. But, in the majority of cases, the tests are adequate enough.

All cancer staging is determined by several factors namely, whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, the size of the tumor and whether it has moved to other areas of the body.

There are a variety of tests. A CT scan looks though section of the body using x-rays. Or a combined PET-CT scan gives in depth pictures of the body’s structures and uses a slightly radioactive dye which focuses on areas where there is abnormal activity in cell growth.

A bronchoscopy test uses a flexible, narrow tube which is inserted into the nose or throat down into the windpipe. This is normally carried out under local anesthetic however, a sedative or general anesthetic is sometimes used.

A tumor biopsy test involves the insertion of a very fine needle into the lung through the skin. The patient holds their breath while this is taking place and only takes a two to three minutes. The collected cells are then taken for examination.

Lung cancer can be caused by various factors such as tobacco smoke (most common cause), radon gas, genetic factors, air pollution (including second had tobacco smoke) and asbestos. Asbestos exposure leads to a rarer kind of cancer called mesothelioma cancer. Mesothelioma symptoms can be general such as chest pain, shortness of breath and a persistent cough. There are two types namely, malignant mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma.

So, stage 4 lung cancer is a serious disease however, advances in treatments and new clinical trials are aiming to reduce the symptoms and help to improve survival.