One of the widest spreading and quickly developing diseases in the body is cancer. The pancreas, an organ in your body that is located behind the bottom portion of your stomach, is where pancreatic cancer first manifests itself. The pancreas can experience both cancerous and non-cancerous growths. The cells lining the ducts that remove digestive enzymes from the pancreas are the first to become the most prevalent type of pancreatic cancer, also called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The exocrine cells in the pancreas begin to proliferate uncontrollably when adenocarcinoma of the pancreas develops. The maximum portion of the pancreas is made up of exocrine cells, which further form exocrine glands and ducts. Endocrine cells make up a minor portion of the cells of the pancreas that produce hormones like insulin and glucagon, which are quickly released into the blood.

STAGES OF PANCREATIC CANCER: 

The term “stage” in the context of cancer refers to how widely the disease has spread. Different stages of pancreatic cancer demand different treatments.

• Stage 0 – It means that pancreatic cancer has only spread to the outmost layers of the organ’s duct cells. In stage 0 the symptoms are minimal or not even visible to the naked eye. 
• Stage I – This stage denotes local growth, which means the pancreatic cancer is only present in the pancreas and is within 4 cm of size.  
• Stage II – This stage denotes the local spread when pancreatic cancer has developed outside of the pancreas, has spread to neighboring lymph nodes, or is more than 4 cm in size and is limited to the pancreas. 
• Stage III – This stage denotes a more widespread tumor where the tumor may have migrated to adjacent major blood vessels or nerves in stage 3, but it has not yet disseminated to other places.
• Stage IV – This stage denotes confirmed spread in which pancreatic cancer has unquestionably spread to other organs as well.

SYMPTOMS OF PANCREATIC CANCER:

Only the advanced level of pancreatic cancer indicates the following symptoms:

• Dark-colored urine
• Itchy skin
• Blood clots 
• Loss of appetite/unintended weight loss
• Light-colored stools
• Back pain that originates in the abdomen
• Diagnosis of diabetes (new) or worsening of existing diabetes 
• Fatigue
• Jaundice: whitening of the eyes and yellowing of the skin.

SURGERY OF PANCREATIC CANCER:

These are the types of surgeries carried out for pancreatic cancer by surgeons:

• This surgery is performed when the surgeon intends to remove the entire cancer because removing merely a portion of pancreatic cancer might not help the patient live longer. 
• If tests reveal that the cancer is too widespread to be entirely eliminated, palliative surgery is performed. This surgery is performed to treat symptoms or avoid certain problems, such as a clogged bile duct or intestinal blockage. 
• This is also known as the Whipple procedure, which is one of the most common and primary procedures performed by a surgeon where only the head of the pancreas is removed.

CURE:

The course of treatment for pancreatic cancer depends on the cancer’s location and stage, as well as your general health. In circumstances where eliminating cancer isn’t an option, patients are advised to enhance their quality of life and improve daily habits to prevent the further spread of cancer so that it may not cause any harm. The treatment for pancreatic cancer combines surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or an effective combination of these to achieve the goal.

In special cases where the treatment is ineffective, patients receive palliative care to attain maximum comfort. Girn Hospital is the leading hospital in Ludhiana, Punjab is known for providing its patients with the utmost care and best medical treatment experience. With years of experience and practical knowledge, Dr. H.R.S Girn Head of GI and Liver Sciences is the best liver transplant doctor in Ludhiana, Punjab who has excellently given his patients the right treatment at the right time.