How long do people live with pancreatic cancer? Cancer of the head of the pancreas - a death sentence or fight for life. Types of pancreatic cancer and their symptoms.

If pancreatic cancer is diagnosed at stage 4, how long do they live with such a diagnosis? Is there a way to prolong a person’s life and improve its quality? Stage 4 pancreatic cancer is a very serious disease, the survival rate of which is no more than 5 years and only with constant maintenance therapy.

Description of diagnosis

The pancreas is an organ that, in the presence of a cancerous tumor, does not give a pronounced symptomatic picture in the early stages of development. In this regard, most people who ignore the need for regular preventive medical examinations may not even realize that they are living with cancer.

Symptoms appear gradually, people attribute the deterioration of their condition to a disease such as pancreatitis, try to self-medicate, go on a diet, and only when the attack becomes unbearable do they seek medical help. But this happens at a stage when fighting the tumor is no longer useful.

What is the danger of stage 3 pancreatic cancer? An oncological tumor, uncontrolled by treatment, begins to grow and metastasize throughout the body, affecting the lungs, liver and other internal organs.

The fourth stage of pancreatic cancer is not subject to conservative treatment, and it is not always possible to remove the focus of a cancerous tumor if metastases have already begun to spread throughout the body, affecting all internal organs.

There is no cure for pancreatic cancer; this disease does not have a favorable prognosis, even with treatment.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are methods aimed at slowing down the spread of metastases, but they give side effects that the body, weakened by a cancerous tumor, cannot always cope with.

The survival rate of patients diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer is no more than six months to a year, and only in rare cases is it possible to live with this pathology for up to 5 years (no more than 5% of all patients). Such unfavorable prognosis is due to the fact that even the most effective method of cancer treatment - surgery - does not make sense at stage 4. Even if part of the pancreas or the entire organ is removed, it is not possible to cut out the metastases. In this case, there is a high risk that the patient may not survive the operation.

Signs of pathology

Why is it that people don't pay attention to the symptoms of pancreatic cancer? It's all about the lack of a clinical picture. When an oncological tumor is in the initial stages (1 or 2), a person may have minor manifestations of the disease, but few people pay attention to them.

This is due to a passive lifestyle, alcohol, smoking, poor diet, which is why periodic pain in the abdominal area surprises few people and does not make them wary. Stage 3 pancreatic cancer - already a critical diagnosis, characterized by the manifestation of a pronounced symptomatic picture, but still subject to treatment and prolongation of a person's life - provokes severe pain.

In cases where a person was previously diagnosed with pancreatitis, the signs of cancer are again ignored, the patient thinks that this is an aggravated inflammation of the liver. Symptoms of stage 4 pancreatic cancer:

very severe pain;
frequent attacks;
increased pain at night;
the intensity of the symptom increases if the person changes body position;
yellow color of the skin and mucous membranes;
sudden loss of body weight;
refusal to eat;
general weakness and drowsiness;
increased fatigue;
frequent attacks of nausea and vomiting.

At the last, 4th stage of cancer development, the tumor reaches a very large size. It begins to put pressure on the bile ducts, causing them to stop functioning normally, stagnation occurs, food cannot be digested, and the functioning of all organs of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted.

The body, knowing that it cannot cope with food, begins to react to any food with vomiting and nausea, so a person develops an aversion to food. Rapid weight loss is explained by dysfunction of the pancreas, which cannot generate enzyme substances that are actively involved in the processing of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

You can often hear a story about how a friend or relative suddenly died of pancreatic cancer, but this does not happen. Oncology of this organ develops gradually, and people do not suddenly die from such a disease. People simply do not pay attention to the first signs of pathology and seek medical help mainly only when doctors can no longer do anything.

Possible treatment

Survival for stage 4 pancreatic cancer is no more than 5 years, and this is the most positive prognosis. In most cases, people live no more than a year, and what level of life this will be depends not only on the treatment, but also on the person himself, on how much he monitors his health and adheres to all the doctor’s instructions.

What can be done with such a diagnosis to increase a person’s life expectancy? The problem with treating stage 4 pancreatic cancer is that surgery is useless because pathogenic cancer cells grow outside the organ, affecting other internal tissues. Pancreatic oncology refers to diseases for which the survival rate is no more than 10% per year; there are no more detailed statistics.

To improve the quality of life, i.e., slow down the development of the pathological process and relieve the symptoms of the disease to the maximum in stage 4 thyroid cancer, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are performed.

These therapies have side effects (and quite strong ones) that can lead to the death of the patient due to the lack of resistance on the part of the immune system. Which method of therapy to choose and whether it makes sense is decided only by the attending physician. How long you live with pancreatic cancer largely depends on whether you received chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

In rare cases, if the human body is still trying to fight cancer, and the metastases have not completely damaged the internal organs, a surgical operation may be performed. Most often, the intervention is carried out using the Whipple system. But in most cases, the operation is performed if the third stage of the disease has been diagnosed.

How is Whipple surgery performed? The head of the pancreas is removed, and partial resection of the soft tissue of adjacent internal organs that have metastasized is performed. Does such an operation always prolong the patient’s survival? No, it all depends on how successful the manipulation is. Often people die on the surgical table if the body could not cope with the load during the operation.

If surgery is successful, the second critical wave occurs during rehabilitation. After surgery, chemotherapy is mandatory; the goal of this treatment method is to destroy as much as possible the cancer cells remaining on the pancreas and slow down the process of spread of metastases.

What can the patient do?

Pancreatic cancer, which has a poor prognosis, is a very difficult diagnosis, and the patient must be prepared for the fact that his standard of living will change dramatically. Although there are exceptions, when people with this disease lead a relatively active life, they can move and eat on their own. But this is very rare. It all depends on the general condition of the body, in particular the immune system, and on the lifestyle the patient leads.

What can a person do? Firstly, the development of this disease can be prevented. To do this, you need to carefully monitor your health and visit the hospital at least once a year for a preventive medical examination.

If there are cases of cancer in the family history, in particular close relatives have pancreatic cancer, it is necessary to take a blood test once a year to determine tumor markers. Pancreatic cancer detected in the early stages of development can be cured. Although there are risks of relapse, they can be dealt with, unlike stage 4 cancer.

The life expectancy of a person diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer also depends on the patient’s mood.

You should not refuse the help of psychologists who deal with the emotional rehabilitation of people with serious diagnoses. With pancreatic cancer, how long can you live? This is a frequently asked question from patients who are faced with this incurable disease. Even a doctor cannot answer this question: too many factors affect the standard of living and its duration.

Benefits of treatment and diet

The patient should not give up. Of course, the diagnosis is fatal, but you can live with it for 2 months or 5 years. What needs to be done in order to prolong life and bring it to a normal level? Do not stop treatment. Some patients refuse chemotherapy due to the development of side effects - severe weakness, temporary increased pain, persistent nausea and vomiting. It is important to understand that complications are temporary and, no matter how difficult it is, such therapy gives a person a chance to prolong life.

The diet is changing radically; now the patient will only eat the food the doctor tells him to eat. The digestive system should not be overloaded with heavy foods; internal organs are already working hard. Metastases, spreading to neighboring livers, primarily affect the liver and lead to the development of carcinoma. You can protect yourself from complications; you need to give up bad habits, eat right, undergo regular medical examinations and, most importantly, do not give up.

How long do patients with pancreatic cancer live? It all depends on how timely treatment was started. With this diagnosis, every day chemotherapy is delayed can lead to an acceleration in the spread of metastases. People who have undergone chemotherapy live longer with a diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer than patients who were afraid of complications and refused to undergo therapy.

The health and life of the patient are only in his hands.

The rules for undergoing regular medical examinations were not invented in vain. Timely diagnosis of the disease, when the pathology is at an early stage of development, has saved more than one person’s life.

If there is frequent pain in the abdomen or problems with digestion, this is a sign not only of gastritis, but also of more serious pathologies. Ignoring symptoms and self-medicating is strictly prohibited. First of all, people who have a genetic predisposition to pancreatic cancer should sound the alarm and run for examination.

In contact with

As a person approaches the end of life, it is often difficult to know what to expect. Death of a cancer patient, as a rule, occurs gradually over several weeks or months, depending on the stage of the disease. It is impossible to accurately predict how long a person will live. The patient gradually becomes weaker, tired, and exhausted by the disease. He is not able to move independently, and wants much more peace.

For this reason, it is important to find out in advance whether the patient has any special wishes, whether and when he wants to communicate with members of the clergy before death. It is worth taking care of this in advance, because at the end of life, people dying of cancer are not always able to think for themselves.

Signs of death of a cancer patient

The process of dying of the body depends on the type of cancer, its location, and also on the rate of growth in the tissue. occupy more and more free space and absorb increased amounts of nutrients. As a result, healthy organs are not able to function fully.

In the last stages of cancer there are special signs of death of a cancer patient, which indicate damage to various organs, in particular:

Digestive system:

Cancer can spread to the stomach, pancreas, colon, etc. Due to this, food or waste is unable to pass through the digestive system, causing bloating, nausea or vomiting. This condition leads to the fact that food is not digested, and the patient is unable to receive the necessary amount of food to continue the life cycle.

Bones:

Damage to bone tissue cancer provokes the release of calcium into the general bloodstream, which can lead to loss of consciousness and death. Also, bones with tumors break and do not heal.

Liver:

The organ removes toxins from the blood, helping to digest food and helping convert it into substances necessary for life. Oncological damage to the liver interferes with the functioning of its main functions.

Lungs:

Before death, cancer patients often experience problems with the pulmonary system due to the preservation of a small part of the organ. If there is too little healthy tissue left, people may have trouble breathing and not receive enough oxygen.

Bone marrow:

Physical symptoms of death in a cancer patient include:

slow breathing, sometimes with long pauses between breaths;
noisy breathing with stops and gurgling sounds. A person becomes unable to independently swallow liquid and mucus in the throat. As a rule, the sounds are similar to loud snoring, but the patient does not always notice them;
coolness of the skin, especially on the arms and legs;
dry mouth and lips;
decreased amount of urine or loss of bladder and bowel control;
restlessness or repetitive involuntary movements;
lack of awareness of the time, place and identity of people who are nearby;
hallucinations involving seeing people who have died and being able to talk to them.

Often, cancer patients feel severe pain, which prevents the dying person from concentrating on the things that are important to him. In this case, it is recommended to contact the health service to choose the best method of pain relief.

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The patient's thoughts should concentrate on time spent with family. It is therefore important that when the described dying signs are detected, caregivers seek help as quickly as possible and improve the quality of the last days of life and thus facilitate death of a cancer patient.

Pancreatic cancer is called a “silent killer” because it is completely asymptomatic for too long, but even in the active phase of progression, the clinical picture will be blurred, the patient does not correlate the deterioration in well-being with this particular cancer. pancreas is always difficult, but the disease spreads quickly and metastasizes to the liver, bones, lymph nodes and other organs and systems. Very often, this develops against the background of decreased, chronic inflammatory diseases of the pancreas, diabetes mellitus.

Oncologists strongly recommend that every person, even in the absence of any deterioration in health, undergo an abdominal and retroperitoneal examination once a year. This approach to health monitoring will allow timely detection of dysfunction of the pancreas.

What is the pancreas

The pancreas is an organ that is 16-22 cm long and is shaped like a pear, lying on its side. Inside, the organ in question consists of lobules - their cells produce all food enzymes. Inside the lobules there are islets of Langerhans - their cells secrete the hormones insulin, glucagon and somatostatin directly into the blood.

The pancreas is located at the level of the first lumbar vertebrae, but it is not located in the abdominal cavity, but in the retroperitoneal space, next to the kidneys and adrenal glands. The organ is covered at the front by the peritoneum, partially “hidden” behind the stomach, and its tail rests against the spleen - such “secrecy” makes the pancreas a rather difficult-to-reach organ for ultrasound examination. But nevertheless, an experienced ultrasound specialist will immediately see the pathological changes in the organ in question and determine dysfunction of the pancreas itself.

Note:the entire pancreas is covered with a capsule of connective tissue - it performs a protective function. Damage to this capsule is fraught with dangerous complications - the enzymes produced by the pancreas do not enter the duct, but into an unprotected place and begin to absorb the cells of the same organ.

The pancreas is divided into three sections - body, tail and head.

Pancreatic cancer: statistics

According to medical statistics, pancreatic cancer ranks 4th among all deaths from cancer, and this despite the fact that the pathology in question is actually quite rare! Such a high mortality rate from pancreatic cancer is due to the fact that the pathology proceeds generally asymptomatically for a long time, and then the patient’s condition worsens, but the clinical picture remains unclear, treatment for some other diseases begins - precious time is simply lost.

The risk of pancreatic cancer increases after age 30, then increases after age 50, peaking at age 70 and older.

Pancreatic cancer always metastasizes to the liver, bone tissue, and lungs. As the tumor grows, it affects the walls of the stomach, duodenum, and large intestine.

Causes of pancreatic cancer

Cell division occurs in every organ, and during this process, mutated cells inevitably appear, with incorrect DNA - they are recognized by the immune system and destroyed as “non-native”. If the process of such recognition and destruction is disrupted, a malfunction of the immune system occurs, then the “wrong” cells that appear also begin to divide - a cancerous tumor grows. Then everything happens according to the same pattern: growing cancer cells “turn on” the protective mechanism and the body’s immune system simply cannot recognize them, and when they are accurately identified, the body is no longer able to cope with them on its own - they appear.

Scientists have not identified any exact cause for the development of pancreatic cancer, but there are a number of risk factors that may well become a “impetus” for the appearance of a cancerous tumor. These include:

, occurring in a chronic form . Pancreatic cells, which are in a constant inflammatory process, are the optimal environment for the emergence and division of mutating cells. The risk of developing the disease in question in chronic pancreatitis is reduced only if the pathology is put into a long-term stage of remission, and this is possible if the patient follows the doctor’s prescriptions.
Pancreatitis of hereditary etiology . A cancer tumor develops according to the classic “scenario”, but the cause of pancreatitis is exclusively heredity.
. Even a slight lack of insulin leads to an increase in blood glucose levels - this is the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
. This is perhaps the only risk factor that can be designated as reversible. If a person gives up a bad habit, then his pancreas gets rid of ischemia - the risk of developing cancer immediately decreases.
, . In this condition, a person accumulates adipose tissue, which leads to an imbalance of sex hormones. All together can lead to the appearance of mutated cells in the pancreas.
And . If these pathologies occur in a chronic form and bother a person for a long time, then the pancreas will be regularly poisoned by toxic substances - they are certainly formed during the inflammatory process.
. With this pathology, the microflora of the stomach changes, resulting in the accumulation of toxic compounds in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Even if a person has been operated on for a gastric ulcer, the risk of developing the disease in question remains very high.

In addition to these factors, it is worth highlighting poor nutrition - there are some studies that suggest an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer when consuming certain foods in large quantities. Such dangerous products include, in particular:

processed meat - sausages, sausages, ham, balyk, bacon and more;
grilled red meat;
fatty food.

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Some doctors and scientists argue that several other risk factors include:

person's age over 60 years;
diseases of the oral cavity - for example, pulpitis;
direct contact with dyes and toxic substances - this factor is especially common among metallurgy workers;
, occurring in a chronic form - for example,;
low physical activity of a person;
already diagnosed cancer of other organs - pharynx, ovaries, bladder, kidneys;
the presence of cancer pathology in close relatives.

Doctors consider chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic adenoma, and organ cyst to be precancerous conditions.

Classification of pancreatic cancer

It is very important for the doctor to understand from which cells pancreatic cancer developed - both the clinical picture of the disease and the properties of the tumor will depend on this. There is the following classification:

acinar cancer - cancer cells have the appearance of a bunch of grapes;
mucinous cystadenocarcinoma - occurs when a pancreatic cyst degenerates, more often diagnosed in women;
Ductal adenocarcinoma - the most common type of tumor, develops in the cells that line the pancreatic ducts;
squamous cell carcinoma - a type of disease that is extremely rare; the tumor develops directly in the duct cells;
glandular squamous cell carcinoma - arises from two types of cells at once: those that produce enzymes and those that form excretory ducts;
Giant cell adenocarcinoma is a collection of cystic cavities that are filled with blood.

Note:There is also undifferentiated pancreatic cancer - the most dangerous type of the disease in question, which progresses rapidly and always ends in rapid death.

In the case of cancer development in the endocrine pancreas, its classification will be as follows:

Insulinoma – excessive amounts of insulin are produced, which reduces blood glucose levels;
glucagonoma - the hormone glucagon is produced in large quantities, which increases blood glucose levels;
gastrinoma - the hormone gastrin is produced, which is designed to stimulate the activity of the stomach.

Most often, pancreatic cancer is localized in the head of the organ. But in general there is a classification of the disease in question according to its location:

pancreatic tail cancer;
pancreatic head cancer;
carcinoma of the body of the organ in question.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer

The clinical picture is always variable and may change in patients depending on which specific part of the pancreas the malignant tumor develops.

Pancreatic head cancer

At the very beginning of its development, this type of tumor does not have any symptoms. But the first manifestations of this dangerous disease include:

As the tumor grows, other signs of pathology appear:

Jaundice begins. Moreover, at first the patient may not even suspect its presence; well, occasionally he will notice yellowing of the eye sclera - nothing more. But as the disease in question progresses, the patient’s skin becomes not just yellow, but greenish-brown.
The skin of the whole body itches constantly. Such intense itching is associated with congestion in the gallbladder - bile is simply deposited in the skin and causes such a reaction in the body.
Urine takes on a dark tint, and feces become almost colorless.
The patient completely loses his appetite and develops complete intolerance to meat and fats.
There are digestive disorders - changes in stool.
The stool becomes greasy (it is shiny), runny and smelly.

Cancer of the body or tail of the pancreas

Symptoms of advanced cancer will include the following changes:

A large amount of urine excreted, constant thirst, dry mouth, nighttime - signs identical to diabetes mellitus.
Fatty stools, pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, decreased or complete lack of appetite, weight loss are signs identical to chronic pancreatitis.
The appearance of congestion in the corners of the mouth, weight loss, smooth surface and intense red color of the tongue, pallor of the skin, rashes on the upper and lower extremities, development and eczema - these signs are present only in the case of progression of glucagonoma.
Pain in the pit of the stomach after eating, a feeling that the stomach is standing still, constant stool, greasy stool and difficult to flush from the toilet - these are signs that appear as gastrinoma progresses.

In addition, you need to highlight a few more symptoms of cancer of the body or tail of the pancreas:

menstrual cycle disorders in women;
wounds on the skin surface heal extremely slowly;
trophic ulcers form on the lower extremities;
sexual desire is sharply reduced or completely absent;
red spots periodically appear on the skin, which are often mistaken for allergies;
the occurrence of hot flashes to the face and upper extremities;
in the face and legs periodically occur, but without loss of consciousness;
heaviness is clearly felt in the left hypochondrium.

It can be concluded that pain in the upper abdomen, fatty stools and weight loss are the main signs of pancreatic cancer, regardless of which part of the organ the tumor develops in.

Metastasis of pancreatic cancer

The disease in question very actively disperses its cancer cells throughout the human body. And this can happen in three ways:

Through the circulatory system . Thus, cancer cells enter the liver, kidneys, bone tissue, brain, lungs - almost all internal organs.
Through the lymphatic system . Here, the process of the tumor dispersing its malignant cells occurs in several stages:

First, the lymph nodes that are located directly around the pancreas are attacked by cancer cells;
then the tumor spreads to the lymph nodes, which are located behind the pancreas - most often at the junction of the stomach and the duodenum;
then the lymph nodes, which are located in the mesentery (upper section), begin to be affected;
the last stage of dispersal promotes the penetration of cancer cells into the lymph nodes located in the retroperitoneal space.

Along the peritoneum . Cancer cells invade the intestinal walls, the peritoneum itself, and the pelvic organs.

There is such a thing as penetration of a pancreatic tumor - cancer grows into organs located adjacent to an already affected gland. For example, if cancer develops in the tail of the gland, then its cells can grow into the spleen, and if the cancer is localized in the head of the organ, then the tumor will spread to the stomach and bile ducts.

How pancreatic cancer develops

There are 4 stages of the disease in question - for each of them there are features of the course.

Stage 0 pancreatic cancer

This stage is completely asymptomatic; the mutated cells have just begun to exist and can grow deeper into the organ. If at this stage a person undergoes surgical treatment, then the chances of completely getting rid of cancer are 99%.

Diagnosing pancreatic cancer at this stage can only be done using ultrasound or.

Stage 1 pancreatic cancer

I.A. - the cancerous tumor is localized exclusively in the pancreas and has a size of less than 2 cm. As a rule, the patient does not notice any symptoms, the only exception being the case of localization of the malignant disease in the area of the exit into the duodenum. With this development of events, the patient will indicate nausea and periodic diarrhea if the diet is not followed.

I.B. – the tumor is also located within the pancreas, its size becomes more than 2 cm. If the cancer is localized in the head of the organ, the patient will experience jaundice, diarrhea and nausea, and mild pain in the left hypochondrium. If a malignant tumor develops in the body or tail of the organ, then symptoms characteristic of glucagonoma, insulinoma or gastrinoma will appear.

Stage 2 pancreatic cancer

IIA – the cancerous tumor has spread beyond the pancreas and grown into the duodenum and bile ducts.

IIB – the tumor can have absolutely any size (even small), but its cells have already dispersed to nearby lymph nodes. This fact does not produce any additional symptoms; the patient complains of weight loss, pain in the upper abdomen, diarrhea and vomiting.

Stage 3 pancreatic cancer

The cancer is already widespread. At this stage, malignant cells are found in the stomach, large blood vessels, spleen, and large intestine. In some cases, cancer cells are also present in regional lymph nodes.

Stage 4 pancreatic cancer

The most severe stage of the disease in question, when cancer metastases are found in very distant organs - lungs, brain, ovaries and others.

Stage 4 pancreatic cancer has several distinctive symptoms:

pain in the upper abdomen is pronounced and has a girdling character;
the patient is exhausted due to complete refusal to eat;
the liver is enlarged and this provokes pain and heaviness in the area of its anatomical location;
Fluid accumulates in the abdomen;
the skin simultaneously becomes pale and yellow;
the spleen is enlarged, which provokes acute pain in the right hypochondrium;
Soft nodules appear under the skin.

If at stage 4 there are cancer metastases in the liver, the following signs will be present:

the whites of the eyes and skin acquire a stable yellow color;
gums and mucous membranes begin to bleed;
feces become colorless, urine becomes intensely dark in color;
Fluid accumulates in the abdomen - ascites develops;
The patient's mouth constantly has an unpleasant odor.

Note:with liver metastases at stage 4 of pancreatic cancer, even with ultrasound and computed tomography it is extremely difficult to determine which cancer is primary. This can be done only by the procedure of histological examination of tissue fragments of the affected organs.

Damage to brain metastases at stage 4 of the disease in question is characterized by the following changes:

behavior becomes inappropriate, personality changes almost completely;
the muscle tone of the limbs changes and, as a rule, this occurs only on one side;
smell, sight and taste are weakened;
the patient is unable to perform some simple actions;
skills acquired during work are lost;
the patient's voice becomes nasal;
the face becomes asymmetrical;
speech is incomprehensible to others.

In case of penetration of cancer cells into the lungs, even in absolute rest, dry paroxysmal hemoptysis (in case of rupture of a blood vessel) will be present.

Metastases to bone tissue are manifested by severe pain in the bones - it is especially pronounced with a simple, light tap on the skin at the location of the affected bone.

Diagnostic measures

To make a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, the doctor will conduct a complete examination of the patient. The following types of tests will help in diagnosis:

pancreatic elastase in feces;
blood alkaline phosphatase;
insulin level;
pancreatic amylase in urine and blood;
levels of glucagon and gastrin in the blood.

These tests will only help the doctor suspect advanced pancreatic cancer. General and coagulogram and liver tests will help you find out how much homeostasis has changed.

The exact diagnosis is made based on the results of the following examinations:

Ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity - allows you to determine only the location of the cancerous tumor that will need to be studied.
– allows you to examine the pancreas in detail, the procedure is very effective.
– a more informative study compared to computed tomography. Allows you to study the condition of the kidneys, liver, gallbladder and other abdominal organs along with the pancreas.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. It is performed using an endoscope and injecting a contrast agent into the pancreatic ducts.
Positron emission tomography. A modern research method that gives accurate results. A contrast agent (sugar isotopes) is injected into the patient’s vein and based on its accumulation in the organs, the study is carried out directly.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Under the control of an ultrasound machine, the doctor makes a puncture in the liver and injects a contrast agent into it. After this, you can begin the examination.
Laparoscopy. It is also performed through a puncture into which a probe is inserted, allowing one to examine the condition of the pancreas; if necessary, the doctor will perform a biopsy procedure - taking a fragment of organ tissue for histological examination.

Note:Until the results of the biopsy are received, no doctor has the right to make a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, when conducting research using an endoscope or by laparoscopy, a specialist must take a fragment of organ tissue for histological examination.

Treatment methods for pancreatic cancer

Treatment of the disease in question is selected on a strictly individual basis - it all depends on the size of the tumor, how much it has grown into the organ, and whether there are metastases. The ideal treatment option would be to remove the cancerous tumor and further irradiate the area with gamma rays. But this option is only possible if pancreatic cancer is diagnosed at stage 0 or stage 1 of development. In all other cases, specialists carry out combined treatment.

Surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer

The following types of operations are performed:

If the pancreatic tumor is no longer amenable to any treatment, then doctors can perform palliative operations, which should make life easier for the patient. These include:

removal of part of the malignant tumor - pressure on nearby organs and nerve endings is relieved;
removal of metastases;
elimination of obstruction of the bile ducts and/or intestines;
elimination of perforation of the wall of the stomach, intestines or the diseased organ itself.

Operations are carried out either using the classical method using a scalpel, or with a gamma knife - this allows not only to remove the tumor, but also to irradiate nearby tissues. In this case, if any cancer cells remain, they are destroyed.

After surgery, radiation or chemotherapy is required.

Chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer

It is carried out with specific drugs that suppress the growth and division of cancer cells. Unfortunately, these drugs also affect healthy cells, which leads to severe side effects - hair loss, constant nausea, and frequent infections.

There are two types of chemotherapy:

monotherapy – the patient is prescribed only one drug, the effectiveness of such treatment is 15-30%;
polychemotherapy – doctors combine different means, the effectiveness is 40%.

In order for the patient to endure this type of treatment more or less without consequences, he is given a special diet that includes fermented milk products and abstinence from alcoholic beverages and heavy foods, is recommended to visit a psychologist, and is prescribed antiemetic drugs.

Targeted therapy

A modern type of treatment for pancreatic cancer, which involves taking medications that act exclusively on cancer cells without affecting healthy tissue. Of course, this method of treatment is very effective and well tolerated by patients, but its cost is too high.

Radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer

The tumor is irradiated:

before surgery – the size of the cancer tumor decreases;
during surgery and after it - this will prevent relapses;
in case of an inoperable tumor, the patient’s condition is alleviated and the growth of cancer cells is stopped.

New drugs are constantly being developed to help humanity cope with cancer - for example, scientists from the USA have already developed a vaccine that infects only cancer cells. This vaccine contains radioactive particles, which are designed to destroy malignant cells.

Prognosis for pancreatic cancer

In general, the prognosis for pancreatic cancer is extremely unfavorable. And this is due to the fact that the disease in question grows rapidly, without showing any symptoms.

According to statistics, the following conclusions can be drawn:

Note:If pancreatic cancer was diagnosed at stage 4 of development, then doctors give a prognosis for only one year, and then no more than 5% of all patients survive until this period. The stronger the pain and poisoning by cancer tumor toxins, the shorter a person’s life!

The cause of death for pancreatic cancer is liver, kidney or heart failure.

Preventive measures

This terrible disease, pancreatic cancer, is entirely preventable! Doctors recommend:

Refuse . All changes in human organs that occur when smoking are reversible.

It is important for patients in oncology clinics to know what “stage 4 pancreatic cancer” is: how long do they live with such a diagnosis and can it be cured? The prognosis depends on the extent of cancer spread and metastases, as well as the choice of therapeutic measures.

Stage 4 pancreatic cancer: features of the disease

If the cancer grows and extends beyond the pancreas, and the cancer cells disperse into separate organs and lymph nodes, then the doctor diagnoses pancreatic cancer in the fourth stage.

Full recovery is impossible for several reasons: the pancreas and organs affected by the disease cease to function.

Drugs and surgical treatments are unable to fully utilize all methods to remove tumors and cancer cells, which does not allow complete elimination of the disease in the pancreas.

The main problem of this cancer is that in the early stages the disease makes itself felt with weak manifestations and is quite difficult to recognize.

Pancreatic cancer, like other types of oncology, has certain stages.

The stages of cancer include:

At zero stage There are no symptoms in the body. However, cancer is already beginning to develop in the human body. It is impossible to do without surgery on the pancreas.
First stage. Cancer is already visible using diagnostic methods. The size of the tumor is 2 cm. The operation can be performed successfully, and then the doctor creates a certain diet to prevent further manifestations of the disease in the pancreas.
Second stage. The tumor is already clearly visualized and affects the lymph nodes, but there are no metastases. The doctor prescribes a course of chemotherapy and surgery, during which part of the organ is cut out or it is completely removed. According to statistics, about 30 percent of people can live more than 10 years with cancer if they correctly follow the instructions of their treating specialist.
Third stage. It is characterized by the fact that the tumor reaches such a size that it can affect nerves and blood vessels. Metastasis is not observed at this stage of cancer. After surgery, a person may develop other diseases. Therefore, every fifth patient needs a new operation within a year after the previous treatment. Treatment is carried out to relieve pain and prolong the patient’s life.
At the fourth stage cancer, a person experiences pain in the pancreas. Metastases are already present in the body; surgery is not always indicated if this stage of the disease is diagnosed. Typically, treatment is based on maintaining normal health and prescribing a certain diet that can prolong life by several months or years.

The size of the resulting tumor often reaches five and sometimes six centimeters. They don't live with her for long. According to statistics, even 4% of patients cannot live more than five years.

Causes and symptoms of the disease

Pancreatic cancer refers to a phenomenon in which the DNA in the organ stops behaving normally and cancer cells gradually multiply.

The greatest likelihood of developing cancer exists in those people who experience problems with the following diseases:

cysts in the pancreas;
benign tumors;
presence of diabetes mellitus;
pancreatitis.

Attention! One of the main causes of the disease is considered to be: smoking and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. These bad habits increase your chance of getting sick.

Another probable cause of cancer is work in an enterprise where there is contact with asbestos or other chemicals.

Previously undergone operations to eliminate pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract also leave an imprint on the health of the pancreas, causing cancer.

Predisposing factors for cancer include: unbalanced diet, sedentary lifestyle and excess weight.

At stage 4 of pancreatic cancer, the patient experiences severe pain in the area where the organ is located. In addition to pain, there are a number of manifestations and symptoms that indicate pancreatic cancer:

nausea;
temperature;
constipation and diarrhea;
presence of vomiting;
changes in urine and feces;
if the tumor has affected the bile ducts, then manifestations of jaundice.

Additional symptoms of cancer include sudden weight loss as digestive processes are disrupted. The patient experiences problems with appetite, stomach and itchy skin. In addition to these cancer symptoms, excessive nervousness may be present.

Men, according to statistics, suffer from this disease more often than women. This disease most often affects people over the age of sixty. Therefore, you need to monitor your health in old age.

Diabetes mellitus and problems with intestinal functionality may be associated with the disease. This pathology is especially acute if there is intestinal obstruction, for which immediate hospitalization is indicated.

Pancreatic cancer - pathology diagnosis

It is difficult to detect late-stage cancer in the pancreas without diagnostic equipment.

Therefore, doctors, if they suspect a serious illness, give directions for the following types of studies:

Computed tomography, where the patient will be examined of the pancreas and diagnosed with the development of cancer, if any.
An X-ray examination that reveals the extent of cancer development in tissue and bones.
Ultrasound examination. This method allows you to see the condition of the organ, as well as identify the presence or absence of cancer in it. In addition, the doctor examines neighboring organs.
Biopsy. This study means taking a small amount of organ tissue to conduct a study for the presence of a pathological process in it.

In addition to studies carried out using special equipment, it is necessary to donate blood for clinical analysis, as well as urine, which can provide information about some indicators inherent in stage 4 cancer in the pancreas.

Treatment

If pancreatic cancer is detected in the fourth stage, then the doctor will prescribe only supportive therapy and medications, since quick death is inevitable. This is caused by tumor intoxication.

The result of treatment should be:

relief of abdominal pain;
improvement of the digestive process;
maximization of life through the method of introducing chemistry.

One of the important elements of treatment at this stage of the disease is the use of chemotherapy. It is capable of inhibiting cancer growth, as well as atypical cells.

If the condition is stable, at this stage of oncology, surgical intervention, that is, Whipple surgery, can be used. This treatment involves removing the head of the pancreas, gallbladder, duodenum, and lymph nodes containing cancer cells.

If the tumor has grown into blood vessels or liver metastases are detected, then surgery is contraindicated.

To make you feel better and eliminate pain, tablets related to analgesics are used, that is, a painkiller that has a strong effect on the body. Sometimes the patient is recommended to use traditional medicine methods against cancer.

Diet for pancreatic cancer

The cancer diet chosen by the doctor provides the patient with improved well-being, a reduction in the overall load on the pancreas, and the elimination of vomiting and hiccups.

The daily menu should contain microelements beneficial to the body, as well as foods with high calorie content.

Reducing the quantitative composition of spices and other seasonings in food.
It is recommended to cook food using steam.
Meals are taken at least five times in one day, and in fractional parts.

What can you eat if you have cancer to avoid stagnation in the intestines? Foods that can cause constipation and gas should be excluded from the diet. What should a person suffering from pancreatic cancer eat? The answer is simple: only healthy foods, high in vitamins. At the same time, canned foods, as well as alcoholic beverages, should not be on the patient’s table.

If relatives notice that a person with cancer has stopped eating food, they should inform the attending physician. In this case, parenteral nutrition will be prescribed.

Pancreatic cancer - how long will the patient live?

If the doctor diagnosed the disease at stage 4, then the prognosis is unfavorable for the patient. The overall 5-year life expectancy rate for pancreatic cancer does not exceed 5%. The exact number of months lived depends on the patient’s age, compliance with the treatment regimen, as well as diet and the presence of concomitant diseases.

If cancer treatment is accompanied by chemotherapy, then life can be extended to one year. Everything will depend on the sensitivity of cancer cells to the components of the drugs administered to humans. The time of development of the disease will depend on this.

Many cannot live even six months, but the use of medications prolongs their life.

If there are symptoms in the body that resemble problems with the pancreas, then you need to immediately consult a doctor and thereby protect yourself from cancer.

Video - stage 4 pancreatic cancer

Conclusion

Stage 4 pancreatic cancer is a disease that cannot be eliminated by treatment. However, with proper adherence to the treatment regimen and dietary nutrition, it is possible to prolong life and improve well-being for patients. Therefore, you need to listen to the advice of doctors and follow their recommendations.

Thank you

The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!

Pancreas cancer is one of the most common cancers of the human digestive system. Every year, about 220 thousand new cases of this disease are registered in the world, of which about 213 thousand are fatal. Pancreatic cancer is an extremely aggressive disease with severe complications.

Treatment tactics and the patient’s chances of survival depend on the moment of diagnosis of the disease: the earlier the disease was detected, the higher the chances of its cure. Due to the high incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer, diagnostic methods have been developed to treat this type of tumor. For timely diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, it is important that patients know some of the signs of the disease, which should immediately consult a doctor if they appear.

What is the pancreas and what is its role in the body?

The pancreas is one of the largest exocrine glands in our body and the main organ that produces enzymes necessary for digestion. The pancreas of an adult has an oblong, flat shape and is located behind the stomach (“under the stomach”), the mass of the gland reaches 150-200 g. On top, the pancreas is covered with a dense membrane of connective tissue, and inside it consists of many microscopic glands that open into tubules.

There are two main types of cells in the pancreas:
Exocrine cells produce digestive enzymes (an essential component of digestive juice that breaks down food into its constituent elements). The most common form of pancreatic cancer is adenocardcinoma, which originates from the exocrine cells of the pancreas.

Endocrine cells that produce two hormones - insulin and glucagon. Pancreatic hormones are involved in the regulation of blood glucose levels (insulin lowers and glucagon increases the concentration of glucose in the blood).

Thus, the pancreas performs two functions: it produces digestive juice, which breaks down food and endocrine juice, and regulates blood glucose levels with the help of two hormones: insulin and glucagon.

How common is pancreatic cancer? Which population groups get sick more often?

Pancreatic cancer is a fairly common tumor. The incidence of this oncological pathology is about 8-30 cases per 100 thousand population. On a national scale, the number of patients with various malignant tumors of the pancreas can reach impressive values. For example, in Russia, about 13 thousand new cases of pancreatic cancer are detected every year.

Pancreatic cancer mainly affects older people 60-80 years old. Very rarely (one in ten cases) this disease affects people under 50 years of age.

The incidence of pancreatic cancer among men is higher than among women (almost 2 times in some countries).

What are the causes of pancreatic cancer?

To date, no specific cause of pancreatic cancer (as well as most other malignant tumors) has been established. Various studies in this area, more or less likely, indicate the following risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer:
Hereditary factors play a particularly important role in the development of pancreatic cancer in young people. It is likely that in these cases the early development of this type of tumor is associated with a mutation in certain genes.

Diabetes mellitus has been reported as a risk factor for pancreatic cancer in many studies. According to modern concepts, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer is higher in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes who develop this disease after 40 years of age.

Smoking is one of the most common factors predisposing to the development of malignant pancreatic tumors. One study showed that smokers have almost twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer as non-smokers.

It is assumed that the toxic substances contained in tobacco smoke act on the pancreas through the blood and through bile (through the intestines). It has also been shown that after quitting smoking, the risk of developing pancreatic cancer gradually decreases and after 15 years is compared with the risk of this disease in non-smokers.

Poor diet, especially excess consumption of fatty foods, can also increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. On the other hand, foods rich in vitamins (especially vitamins E and C) can be used as a preventive measure for this type of cancer. It has also been proven that citrus fruits contain a natural cancer growth gene inhibitor that is especially beneficial.

How dangerous is pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is very dangerous. The survival statistics for patients with this type of cancer are very sad: mortality is almost equal to morbidity. The reason for the high mortality rate is that, firstly, the disease itself is severe and has many complications, and secondly, that most patients see a doctor too late, when the tumor has already formed metastases in the internal organs.

Why is pancreatic cancer so aggressive?

Pancreatic cancer itself is a rather aggressive tumor, characterized by rapid growth and early formation of metastases, but the danger of pancreatic cancer is also associated with something else - the special properties of the pancreas and the enzymes it produces.

The enzymes produced by the pancreas are very aggressive and capable of breaking down any biological substrate, therefore they are stored in an inactive state in the pancreatic tubules (before contact with food). In various diseases, including pancreatic cancer, activation of these enzymes can occur, which begin to digest the gland itself and the surrounding tissues and organs. That is why all inflammatory (acute pancreatitis) and tumor processes (cancer) of the pancreas are very difficult. In especially severe cases, enzymes enter the blood and spread throughout the body, causing the patient to go into shock, which is very difficult to treat.

Surgeries on the pancreas, for the same reasons, are associated with greater risk.

What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

As in the case of malignant tumors of other internal organs, in the case of pancreatic cancer there are no specific symptoms to suspect cancer at an early stage. Typically, patients complain of a whole range of symptoms that may lead the doctor to think about other, more common diseases that can be found in almost every elderly patient.

The main symptoms of pancreatic cancer are:
Pain in the upper abdomen or left hypochondrium, radiating to the back and spine. In some cases, the pain may be “girdling” in nature. With pancreatic cancer, the pain is dull, aching, and does not respond to food intake. At the beginning of the disease, the pain subsides when the patient bends forward.

Jaundice (staining of the patient’s skin and mucous membranes yellow, discoloration of stool and cloudy urine) occurs due to compression of the bile duct by a tumor of the pancreas. Often jaundice can be the first and only symptom of pancreatic cancer, and if the patient consults a doctor about this symptom in time, it can save his life.

Other symptoms of pancreatic cancer may include: sudden weight loss, food intolerance, and vomiting. If these symptoms are detected in an elderly person, he must be urgently taken to a doctor for a comprehensive examination.

How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?

Diagnosing pancreatic cancer at the initial stage is a difficult task for several reasons: firstly, the matter is complicated by the treatment of patients in the later stages of the disease, when little can be done to help them, and secondly, the pancreas itself, due to its anatomical location very difficult to research.

The following diagnostic methods are used in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer:
Ultrasound examination (ultrasound)– helps to recognize a tumor in more than 80% of cases. At the same time, performing ultrasound in obese patients and without preliminary bowel preparation is very difficult and can reduce the quality of diagnosis.

CT scan– one of the leading methods for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. Computed tomography allows one to assess not only the location of the tumor and its size, but also the presence of metastases “invisible” to ultrasound.

Pancreatic puncture and biopsy is a diagnostic method in which, using a special probe, doctors take a sample of pancreatic tissue from the area of the suspected tumor for analysis. This method allows you to determine the type of tumor, its source of origin, and the potential aggressiveness of the disease.

How is pancreatic cancer treated?

The treatment method for pancreatic cancer depends on the stage of the disease and the condition of the patient. The main types of treatment are surgery (removal of part of the pancreas or the entire organ), chemotherapy (prescription of medications that inhibit tumor development), radiation therapy (irradiation of the tumor area with X-rays to destroy cancer cells).

Let's remember:
Pancreatic cancer is a disease of old age, but in rare cases it also occurs in people under 50 years of age.

The causes of pancreatic cancer are genetic mutations, smoking, poor diet, and chronic pancreatic diseases.
Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive tumor, the success of treatment of which depends on the stage of development of the disease.

The main symptoms of pancreatic cancer are chronic abdominal pain, jaundice, vomiting, refusal to eat, and sudden weight loss.

Bibliography:
1. Diagnosis and treatment of tumors, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg State Medical University, 1997
2. Oncology at the turn of the 21st century. Opportunities and prospects, Moscow., M., 1999

Before use, you should consult a specialist.