“Additionally, it is important to remember that pancreatic cancer can be hereditary,” says Elsa Pichardo, MD, a surgeon on the Medical Staff of Penn Medicine Princeton Health. “If someone in your family has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, be sure to let your doctor know about it so that it is in your record and you can be evaluated if necessary.”
One out of every 64 Americans will develop pancreatic cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society, and the disease is somewhat more common in men than women. There is also a higher incidence of pancreatic cancer among African Americans.
“The survival rate for the disease is not very high because it is usually detected at a late stage, which makes treatment more complex,” says Dr. Pichardo, who is board certified in general surgery and fellowship trained in hepatobiliary and pancreas surgery. “When it is less advanced when detected, however, we have effective treatments, including surgery and chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation.”
A Team Approach
Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer begins with a CT scan, usually followed by other imaging tests and a biopsy. Often, a cyst or tumor is discovered during an unrelated CT scan for another condition, and the patient is then referred for further testing.
“It is important to remember that not all cysts are cancerous,” says Dr. Pichardo. “And in some cases, we may just need to monitor it for changes rather than take surgical measures. When surgery is needed, depending on the tumor’s location within the pancreas, it may be able to be done laparoscopically, sometimes robotically. If surgery is not an option initially, usually because of the size of the tumor, chemotherapy may reduce it enough to allow for surgery.”
From diagnosis through recovery, Penn Medicine Princeton Cancer Center at Princeton Medical Center provides a multidisciplinary approach to care for pancreatic cancer.
Are You at Risk?Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include:
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