Pancreatic Cancer

Diagnosis

There is no effective method of screening for cancers in the pancreas. Because the pancreas is hidden from view among many other organs, detecting cancer there is difficult.

If you have symptoms of pancreatic cancer, your doctor will ask you about your medical history, examine you and order diagnostic tests to look for other possible causes. These diagnostic tests include:

• Routine laboratory tests - Basic blood work can evaluate how your liver is functioning, and can help to narrow the possible causes of your symptoms.

• Ultrasound - In this test, images created by an echo of ultrasound waves are viewed on a video screen. Although ultrasound is not the best way to diagnose a tumor of the pancreas, it may help to discover other possible causes of your symptoms, such as gallbladder disease or cysts in the pancreas.

• Computed tomography (CT) scan - This generally is considered to be a more accurate imaging test for detecting pancreatic cancer. A CT scan uses X-rays to create an image of the inside of the abdomen.

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan - Another more accurate test, an MRI scan, uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images. A special type of MRI, a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, may be done to look more closely for blockages of the pancreatic bile ducts.

• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography - In this test, the doctor inserts a tube into your mouth, down into the stomach and then into the first part of the small intestine where the bile duct empties. A small instrument may be inserted through the tube so that a dye can be injected and X-rays can be taken to look for any blockages of the bile duct or the ducts in the pancreas. If a blockage or mass is detected, the doctor can take tissue samples to test for cancer.

• CT-guided biopsy - A CT scan is used to guide the biopsy needle to the right spot for obtaining samples of suspicious tissue. Rarely, surgery may be needed to make the diagnosis.

Expected Duration

The best hope for a cure exists when cancer is detected early, before it has spread. Unfortunately, by the time symptoms occur and diagnosis is made, cancer usually has spread outside the pancreas. How much symptoms can be controlled depends on how much the cancer has spread, your age and general health, and how well your body responds to treatment. Even when a cure isn't possible, treatment can improve the length of survival and the quality of life by controlling symptoms and complications of the cancer.