15 Options for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment That May Help You

2. Pancreatectomy

A patient with pancreatic cancer that is not isolated to the head of the pancreas may need to undergo a distal or total pancreatectomy to have a chance at curing their malignancy. Distal pancreatectomy describes a surgical operation where an individual's pancreatic tail is removed. This procedure is only indicated when the tumor or lesion is isolated to the distal part of the organ. A total pancreatectomy is a surgical operation where the entire pancreas, part of the stomach, the spleen, gallbladder, and part of the small intestine. A total pancreatectomy is useful for patients who have pancreatic cancer that has compromised most of the pancreatic tissue. While this procedure may be the best chance of a cure, patients will have to live without a pancreas. Diligent diabetes management and pancreatic enzyme pills will be required for the rest of the patient's life. An individual who has a total pancreatectomy will also have to live with a compromised immune system, as the spleen plays a big role in this.