Surgery
Surgery to remove the
tumor offers the best chance for long term control of all types
of pancreatic cancer. In general, a tumor is considered resectable
if it has not spread (metastasized) beyond the pancreas and does
not involve major blood vessels. About 15% of pancreatic adenocarcinoma
is considered surgically resectable at the time of diagnosis.
Pancreatic surgery, especially
the Whipple procedure, is very complicated. The risk of major
complications is greatly reduced if the operation is performed by
an experienced surgeon. It is important to seek a surgeon
at an institution that does a high volume of these procedures.
This means that the surgeon and hospital perform a significant number
of Whipple procedures each year. Scientific studies have shown
that patients who have their Whipple procedures performed by experienced
surgeons at high-volume hospitals have better outcomes (fewer complications
and improved survival). In these studies, hospitals and surgeons
performing more than 16 Whipple procedures per year are considered
high-volume. It is reasonable to ask the surgeon how many
surgeries he/she performs per year.
Different types of surgery
are performed depending on the location of the tumor within the
pancreas.
Whipple
Procedure
Distal
and Total Pancreatectomy
Palliative
Surgeries
Additional
Resources
Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Johns
Hopkins - Surgical Information
Surgery
of the Pancreas, Liver and Bile Ducts - University of Miami Sylvester
Comprehensive Cancer Center
University
of Southern California Center for Pancreatic and Biliary Diseases:
Department of Surgery
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