COVID-19 Vaccine: Valley's Wellness and Walk-In Care Center at Garden State Plaza is offering the COVID-19 vaccine, including initial and booster doses, for those who are eligible. Learn more and schedule an appointment.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Valley's Wellness and Walk-In Care Center at Garden State Plaza is offering the COVID-19 vaccine, including initial and booster doses, for those who are eligible. Learn more and schedule an appointment.
Pancreatic cancer begins in the pancreas: the organ responsible for helping to break down essential nutrients and for producing certain hormones.
Pancreatic cancer is categorized into two main types:
The following factors increase the risk for pancreatic cancer:
Early on, pancreatic cancer may not cause any symptoms. As the disease progresses, you may notice:
Because these symptoms can also indicate much less serious conditions, see your physician if you experience any of them. Early detection and treatment are key to improving pancreatic cancer survival rates.
The diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer is complex and requires a multidisciplinary team approach. Your experienced team at Valley will include a hepatobiliary surgeon, interventional radiologists, gastroenterologists, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists.
Your treatment will depend on a variety of factors, including the stage of your cancer and your overall health.
Surgically removing (known as a resection) the cancer is the only option currently for potentially curing pancreatic cancer.
However, surgery of the pancreas is difficult because of its location. The pancreas is located deep in the upper abdomen, behind the stomach, in front of the spine, and is surrounded by major blood vessels.
The type of surgery you will need depends on where in the pancreas the tumor is located, whether in the head, body or tail of the pancreas:
Distal pancreatectomy can be done using minimally invasive approaches either with laparoscopic or robotic techniques. Robotic techniques can increase the chance of saving the spleen as compared to the laparoscopic technique, due to more precise control.