| Pancreatic cancer is usually a diagnosis which | | | | median survival time in this stage is 17 months. |
| means the survival of the patient is in months or | | | | When the patient is in the second stage the |
| a couple of years. The tumours which originate | | | | cancer is usually so locally advanced that it cannot |
| from the pancreas are locally advanced by the | | | | be removed by surgery. This means the cancer |
| time it is even detected by the usual clinical | | | | encases or compresses blood vessels which |
| methods. The tumour may also spread to distant | | | | make surgery impossible. The cancer may also |
| organs in advanced cases. The symptoms of | | | | invade and destroy the surrounding organs. This |
| pancreatic cancer are very few and they are | | | | stage makes up about 30% of all pancreatic |
| seen only when the cancer is locally advanced. | | | | cancer cases. The treatment in this case is usually |
| This makes the pancreatic cancer survival time | | | | chemotherapy which is most commonly |
| much less as compared to other cancers. | | | | gemcitabine-based and may be combined with |
| According to the American Cancer Society, for all | | | | radiation. This type of multi - modality therapy is |
| stages of pancreatic cancer combined, the | | | | associated with better survival rates. In very rare |
| one-year relative survival rate is 20%, and the | | | | instances, cancers that respond well to initial |
| five-year rate is 5%. Even for those with local | | | | treatment may subsequently be surgically |
| disease the 5-year relative survival rate is only | | | | resected. The pancreatic cancer survival time in |
| 16%. | | | | this case is eight or nine months. |
| Overall, fewer than 5% of all patients are still alive | | | | The last stage has the worst pancreatic cancer |
| 5 years after initial diagnosis. The collective median | | | | survival time. This is called the metastatic stage |
| survival time of all patients is 4-6 months. The | | | | where the cancer is not limited to the surrounding |
| best predictors of long-term survival after | | | | organs but also affects distant ones. The liver is |
| surgery are a tumour diameter of less than 3 cm, | | | | most commonly involved in this stage and the |
| no nodal involvement, and negative resection | | | | chances of survival in this stage are very bleak. |
| margins. The staging of pancreatic cancer is the | | | | Unfortunately, most cases of pancreatic cancer |
| best indicator of survival of a patient. The | | | | are diagnosed in this stage only. Approximately |
| pancreatic cancer survival time depends on the | | | | 60% of all pancreatic cancer cases are in the |
| extent to which the cancer has invaded the body. | | | | metastatic stage where chemotherapy is the only |
| Local or resectable cancer which comprises about | | | | modality available. Gemcitabine based |
| ten percent of all cases has the best cancer | | | | chemotherapy is the standard treatment in this |
| survival time. In this case the disease is confined | | | | stage where the median survival time is 4 to 6 |
| only to the pancreas and is clearly separated | | | | months. The therapy also aims at relieving patient |
| from the surrounding blood vessels. The | | | | symptoms like jaundice or bowel obstruction with |
| treatment options are surgery, and | | | | surgery and medication to relieve pain. |
| chemotherapy and radiation post operative. The | | | | |