Treatment depends on the type of cancer (the type of cell in which cancer has developed), the location of cancer, the general health status, the stage of cancer.

For most patients, the first goal of pancreatic cancer treatment is to remove cancer when it is possible. When this is not an option, emphasis can be put on improving the quality of life and preventing the development of cancer. Treatment may include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a combination of these. When pancreatic cancer is advanced and these treatments are not considered beneficial, the doctor will prescribe palliative therapies to reduce the symptoms.

Here are the main methods of treatment for pancreatic cancer:

Surgery

Operations used in pancreatic cancer patients include: surgery for tumors in the pancreas (pancreatic-duodenectomy or Whipple procedure, a technically difficult operation to remove the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine, the gall bladder and a part of the biliary duct), surgery for tumors in the pancreatic body and tail (distal pancreatectomy), pancreas removal surgery (total pancreatectomy), surgery for tumors affecting nearby blood vessels. 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to help destroy cancer cells. These medicines can be injected intravenously or taken orally. You can benefit from a single chemotherapeutic drug or a combination of these. Chemotherapy can also be combined with radiotherapy – a technique commonly used to treat cancer that spreads beyond the pancreas, but only in nearby organs and not in distant regions of the body.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy uses energy bundles such as X-rays and protons to destroy cancer cells. It can be given before or after surgery against cancer, often in combination with chemotherapy.