Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease for the patient and presents challenging diagnostic and management problems for the physician. A range of serologic and radiologic studies are available for evaluation and staging of this disease. However, invasive studies, including laparotomy, are often n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:CA: a cancer journal for clinicians 1994-09, Vol.44 (5), p.304-318
Main Authors: Murr, M. M, Sarr, M. G, Oishi, A. J, van Heerden, J. A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenocarcinoma - diagnosis
Adenocarcinoma - epidemiology
Adenocarcinoma - etiology
Adenocarcinoma - therapy
Cancer
Diagnosis, Differential
Health care
Humans
Neoplasm Staging
Palliative Care
Pancreas
Pancreatic Neoplasms - diagnosis
Pancreatic Neoplasms - epidemiology
Pancreatic Neoplasms - etiology
Pancreatic Neoplasms - therapy
Pathology
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Summary:Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease for the patient and presents challenging diagnostic and management problems for the physician. A range of serologic and radiologic studies are available for evaluation and staging of this disease. However, invasive studies, including laparotomy, are often necessary to establish the diagnosis and resectability. Despite advances in diagnostic technology that have shortened the interval between onset of symptoms and definitive treatment, no appreciable impact on survival has been demonstrated conclusively. Operative resection offers the only hope for cure, but fewer than 15 percent of patients have resectable disease at the time of diagnosis. Palliative therapy, whether operative or nonoperative, can be performed with low morbidity and provides significant relief of symptoms. Combined-modality treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy prolongs survival following curative resection.
ISSN:0007-9235
1542-4863
DOI:10.3322/canjclin.44.5.304