Diagnosis usually comes after the disease has been present in the body for some time. Currently, no blood test or other test exists that can detect this cancer early in people with no symptoms.
If a doctor suspects pancreatic cancer, he will check for swollen lymph nodes, which could be caused by the spread of cancer. Imaging tests, such as CT scans, ultrasound, and MRI that may be used to diagnose pancreatic cancer. Ultimately, a biopsy will need to be done to confirm the presence of cancer. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) is currently the most popular method of biopsy.
CA19-9 is a tumor marker for pancreatic cancer that is measured through a blood test. Doctors use it to measure the effectiveness of cancer treatments by studying the patient’s CA19-9 levels over a period of time.
The higher the CA19-9 level is, the larger the pancreatic tumor is and the less likely that it can be removed with surgery. A decreasing or stable CA19-9 level indicates an improved prognosis. An increasing level indicates progression of the disease.
CA19-9 may also be used to assist in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, though it is not sufficiently accurate to be considered a diagnostic blood test. Currently very few cancers, such as liver and prostate cancers, can be diagnosed with blood test results alone.
Treatment of pancreatic cancer encompasses chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Treatment is usually pursued quickly because the cancer has had time to metastasize in most cases. Exocrine cell cancer responds best to radiation which is sometimes combined with chemotherapy. Endocrine cell cancer responds best to chemotherapy.
If the tumor is still relatively small, surgery will be performed to cure the cancer. But if the cancer has spread too far to be completely removed, then palliative surgery focuses on relieving symptoms or preventing future problems.
The main preventive risk factor for pancreatic cancer is smoking. Smokers are three to four times more likely than nonsmokers to acquire pancreatic cancer. In addition, 10 to 20 percent of pancreatic cancer patients have diabetes.
Approximately 2 of 10 people with pancreatic cancer will survive at least one year after the cancer is diagnosed. Very few will live for five years.
