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Is it possible to survive pancreatic cancer?

Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 3, pages 236–237 (2006)Cite this article

Pancreatic carcinoma, particularly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, is a disastrous disease with a dismal prognosis. It ranks as the ninth most common solid tumor and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death; the median survival of patients with pancreatic carcinoma is only around 6 months.

Owing to the retroperitoneal location of the pancreas, the only early symptom of disease might be obstructive jaundice in patients whose tumors are close to the papilla or common bile duct. Patients usually report with back pain or wasting, both of which are generally indicators of inoperable tumors. The only cure for pancreatic carcinoma is surgery; however, this option is only available to ∼20% of patients because of late diagnosis and retroperitoneal tumor growth infiltrating arteries. Even then, median survival for these patients is <2 years.1 Those patients who survive longer probably do not have a ductal adenocarcinoma or, indeed, any cancer at all.2 At present, therefore, it is very difficult to survive pancreatic carcinoma in the same way a patient might survive colorectal cancer. The only slight chance for survival relies on an early diagnosis followed by prompt surgical removal of the tumor.

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  1. Professor of Medicine at the University of Heidelberg and the Head of the Molecular Gastroenterology Unit at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany

    Matthias Löhr

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  1. Matthias Löhr
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Correspondence to Matthias Löhr.

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Löhr, M. Is it possible to survive pancreatic cancer?. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 3, 236–237 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep0469

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