Pancreatic Cancer

• External radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy

• Surgery or other procedures to reduce symptoms

• Clinical trials - Radiation therapy and chemotherapy given before surgery; radiation therapy plus drugs to make cancer cells more responsive to radiation (radiosensitizers); chemotherapy and radiation therapy given during surgery with or without internal radiation therapy

• Stenting- If the cancer has blocked the bile duct near the liver, a specialist may place a stent to open up the duct. This will relieve the symptoms of bile duct obstruction, including jaundice. The procedure does not require an incision. It is done using an endoscope, as with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography above.

Metastatic cancer: The cancer has spread to distant areas, such as the liver, pelvic organs, abdominal cavity and lungs. Treatment for patients with cancers in this stage may include any of the following:

• Chemotherapy

• Treatments for pain and other symptoms

• Surgery or other treatments to reduce symptoms

• Clinical trials - Chemotherapy or biological therapy (sometimes called immunotherapy), which uses the body's immune system, either directly or indirectly, to fight cancer and the side effects caused by cancer treatments

Recurrent cancer: The cancer has reappeared (recurred) after it has been treated, either in the pancreas or another part of the body. In addition to any of the treatments listed above for metastatic pancreatic cancer, treatment may include external radiation therapy to reduce symptoms.