Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis

Stage 4 pancreatic cancer prognosis - If you have ever been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, your doctor first wishes to know what stage of cancer you have. Staging helps doctors to design the best course of treatment. The stages show whether the cancer has spread in your body and, if so, where it is located. Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage because it tends to not show symptoms at the beginning of the year. Stage 4 of pancreatic cancer means that the cancer has spread to other organs, usually the liver or lungs. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer prognosis - You can't cure cancer at this point, but you still have treatment options. It is important to understand what treatments are available to you so that you can make the right decisions.

Chemotherapy: This treatment uses medicines that destroy cancer cells or prevent them from splitting. Chemotherapy is administered either through the pills or by intravenous administration through the blood vessels. Gemcitabine (Gemzar) is the most commonly used medicine for pancreatic cancer in the final stage. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer prognosis - You can obtain this medicine alone or in combination with other medicines, such as paclitaxel related to albumin (Abraxane), erlotinib (Tarparine) or capecitabine (Xeloda). Chemotherapy can also be administered with radiations (this is called chemoradione), a procedure that kills cancer cells with high energy rays. Some of the common side effects are hair loss, fatigue and an increased risk of infection.

Palliative Pain Treatment: As the tumor grows, it can exert pressure on the nerves and organs nearby. This can cause pain and discomfort. Your doctor. May give you an injection of medications for pain or may disrupt the nerves causing the sensation of pain. This treatment does not cure cancer, but it can make you feel more comfortable. (See Also: Early Signs of Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms)

Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis

Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis
Palliative surgery: Surgery at this stage cannot eliminate cancer because it has spread too much. However, it can relieve the tumor blockages that have been created. There are three types of surgical interventions that can be performed for stage 4 of pancreatic cancer:
  • By-pass operation of bile duct: Bypass is an option if the tumor blocks common bile ducts. The liver usually releases a substance called bile, which helps in digestion. The balls are stored in the gallbladder. Then it passes through the common biliary duct into the intestine. From there, it was taken out of the body on the bench. When the tumor blocks the small intestine, it can form the bile into the body and cause jaundice, which is yellowish in the skin and eyes. The bypass operation connects the bile ducts or gallbladder directly to the small intestine to overcome blockages. This procedure is known as choledochojejunostomy.
  • Stent: A stent is a thin metal tube, placed inside the blocked bile ducts, to open it so that the ball can leak. The balls can flow outside the body or in the small intestine. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer prognosis - Stents can also be used to keep the intestine light open if cancer blocks it. You may need to do another surgical intervention to place a new stent after a few months after the tumor has finally appeared and blocked the stent.
  • Gastric bypass operation: Gastric Bypass is an operation that attaches the stomach directly to the small intestine. It can be used to avoid tumors that block food from leaving the stomach (called stomach blockage) and to touch your intestines.

Clinical trials: Treatments available for Stage 4 cancer, in general, will not stop you from growing cancer. But do not despair if the doctor says that there is no other treatment is left to try. Researchers test new cancer therapies in clinical trials. As you follow one of these experiments, you will have the opportunity to test new treatments that are not yet available to the general public. The research you are experiencing could eventually produce a breakthrough therapy for pancreatic cancer. Consult your doctor about clinical trials or search for open online studies.

View: Pancreatic Cancer is the fourth most common cause of death through cancer. The average survival rate for stage 4 pancreatic cancer is between two and six months. Although the disease is not curable, at this stage, treatment can improve the quality of life. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer prognosis - Parents tend to react well to younger medicines, although life expectancy among elderly people with pancreatic cancer in stage 4 is shorter. This is especially true if the person's health condition is complicated by other conditions, such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Obtaining treatment for late-stage cancers can be confusing and stressful. If you start to feel overwhelmed, ask your medical team, family, friends, and adviser for help and support.