CANCER OF THE PANCREAS

Mar
27
2009

Posted by: admin in Categories: Men's Health-Erectile Dysfunction.
Using Tags: Men’s Health

Cancer of the pancreas can be painless during the early stages, but the effects can be serious even when the tumor is small. Often, the early symptoms are nonspecific and do not point to the pancreas at all, so a diagnosis may not be made. For unexplained reasons, psychological effects such as depression occur frequently in this disorder. But, since depression is often attributed to the process of aging, tests to discover this tumor may not be done immediately and even when done may not be conclusive. Weight loss without explanation or a blockage of the bile ducts (connection between the liver and small bowel), causing jaundice, may be the first signs of pancreatic cancer.

Even though X-rays, nuclear scans, echograms, and CAT scans may be done, the diagnosis can still be difficult to establish. I have seen a few older people who were losing weight and feeling depressed undergo repeated X-rays and echograms. When a tumor was not found, treatment was directed to the psychological symptoms, with little improvement. Many months later, more specific symptoms finally appeared or the tumor became large enough for the X-ray or echogram to verify its existence.

If the tumor is found very early, surgery can be successful, but in most cases it is not discovered in time for surgery to be of use. Nevertheless, surgery can alleviate the symptoms of vomiting and jaundice. If the tumor is blocking the bile ducts, stomach, or small intestine, the surgeon can perform a bypass operation to redirect the passage of food and bile around the tumor and delay these symptoms.

A nonsurgical technique allows a temporary improvement in the symptoms caused by jaundice due to blockage of the bile ducts. A thin plastic tube is inserted through the skin into the liver or from the duodenum with a special gastro-scope and then directed to pass through the biliary ducts, past the pancreatic cancer so that the bile can drain into the duodenum. The procedure can be done under local anesthetic and often allows relief of the itching, nausea, and drowsiness caused by the jaundice.

Such operations or procedures can allow months of comfort that otherwise would not be possible. It would be a mistake to say that the operation is not successful because it does not cure the disease. The relief of symptoms and giving a period of comfort are of great importance and should be attempted whenever pancreatic cancer is diagnosed.