One of the dangerous pathologies is a tumor of the pancreas. It is almost impossible to detect symptoms of the disease at an early stage. Such an ailment is diagnosed in patients, as a rule, in an advanced stage. And it is quite difficult to cure a progressive pathology.
Anatomical description
The pancreas is a small organ located directly behind the stomach. It performs two important functions:
- Digestive. The body produces enzymes. They contribute to the breakdown of proteins, fats, carbohydrates received from food. The secretion of enzymes is carried out through the ducts of the gland into the lumen of the duodenum.
- Endocrine. The pancreas produces hormones involved in metabolic processes. Among them is insulin. A hormone that lowers blood sugar levels. Another important substance is glucagon. The hormone provides an increase in sugar levels. Equally important is the production of gastrin. This hormone increases the production ofpancreatic juice.
In anatomy, the following sections of the pancreas are distinguished:
- head;
- neck;
- body;
- tail.
The most commonly diagnosed tumor is the head of the pancreas.
Causes of pathology
A tumor of the pancreas, the symptoms of which are clearly manifested in the last stages, is a malignant formation. Pathology is quite common in oncology. Since the gland has an increased load. As a result, the organ cannot always cope with its basic functions.
The causes of tumors in many clinical cases remain a mystery. However, doctors have identified factors that provide conditions for the creation of cancer cells.
So, a malignant tumor of the pancreas can develop on the background of:
- Smoking. This is the very first factor provoking the development of pathology. Aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons contained in tobacco smoke are the strongest stimulator of tumor development. Almost 1/3 of all pancreatic cancers are caused by smoking.
- The elderly. People over 60 years of age are more at risk of developing pathology.
- Gender. According to statistics, a tumor of this gland is more often diagnosed in men.
- Diabetes. High sugar levels can lead to the development of pancreatic cancer.
- Chronic pancreatitis. Long-term inflammationoften becomes a predisposing factor to the development of the disease. Reactive changes in the pancreas, characteristic of pancreatitis, provoke swelling of the organ. The outflow of enzymes is difficult. Pancreatic juice that has not entered the digestive tract has a detrimental effect on the tissues of the organ. As a result, the pancreatic parenchyma is seriously damaged.
- Obesity. Excess weight and related disorders in the body can become a source of cancer.
- Improper diet. The abuse of carbohydrates, fats creates an increased burden on the body. As a result, the iron may fail. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables significantly reduces the risk of developing a tumor.
- Heredity. In the presence of relatives who have undergone this pathology, the risk of developing cancer of the gland increases significantly.
First signs of disease
It is very difficult to determine the period when the first problems with the pancreas occur. Symptoms may not be noticeable until the onset of stage 4 oncology. And, unfortunately, this is not uncommon. Since only a grown tumor of the pancreas makes itself felt. Symptoms of pathology are provoked by the spread of cancer to other tissues.
However, there are signs that allow you to suspect the disease at an early stage. They completely depend on the localization of the pathology.
Characterize the initial problems with the pancreas, the symptoms are as follows:
- head cancer - weight loss, jaundice, fat in stool, abdominal pain;
- body cancer,tail - weight loss, abdominal discomfort.
Pathology that develops in the head of the pancreas makes itself felt much earlier than oncology that occurs in other parts of the pancreas.
Key Features
Basically, if we talk about a tumor of the pancreas, the symptoms can be observed as follows:
- Painful discomfort in the epigastrium. These are the first complaints of the patient. Communication with the use of food, as a rule, is not traced. The pain is much worse at night. With the localization of pathologies in the head of the gland, discomfort occurs in the right hypochondrium and the navel zone. If the tail, body of the pancreas are affected, the patient experiences pain in the lower back, interscapular region. Discomfort when changing position can change the intensity. Therefore, this pain is often mistakenly referred to as radiculitis.
- Paraneoplastic signs. The patient experiences weakness, loss of appetite. Often there is an aversion to fatty, meaty foods. The patient refuses favorite intoxications - caffeine, alcohol, tobacco. Characterized by weight loss, sleep disturbance, Trousseau's syndrome (migration of peripheral vein thrombosis).
- Mechanical jaundice. There is compression of the bile duct. As a result, the patient's urine and skin become dark in color. Fecal masses lighten. There is itching. The gallbladder is distended to the touch, painless.
- Violation of food digestion. The required amount of enzymes and bile does not enter the intestinal lumen. Due toThis patient rapidly loses weight. He tends to have diarrhea.
- Feeling of heaviness. Compression of the duodenum causes the patient to experience a feeling of fullness in the stomach, even with a small amount of food eaten. Possible belching rotten. Sometimes vomiting of food joins.
- Bleeding. If the tumor grows through the walls of the stomach, the patient may experience this symptom. It is characterized by vomiting of a mushy black mass or coal-black feces.
- Symptoms of hypersplenism. They appear when the tumor compresses the splenic vein. The patient develops leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia. Possible enlargement of the spleen - splenomegaly.
- Signs of Diabetes. If the insulin-producing islets of the gland are destroyed, then the patient experiences characteristic symptoms. There is a strong thirst, itching of the skin and mucous membranes, dry mouth.
- Ascites. This is a late sign of pathology. It indicates metastases in the peritoneum, portal vein.
Any of these symptoms can hardly be called specific for oncology. Therefore, discomfort associated with the pancreas is a mandatory reason to see a doctor.
Diagnostic Methods
Only examination reveals a tumor.
Even though there are symptoms (which may be indicative of another pathology), the following investigations are underway:
- Ultrasound. This is a safe and highly informative method. This study makes it possible to determine whetherinflammatory process, reactive changes in the pancreas, its condition. An ultrasound examination reveals a tumor larger than 2 cm. In addition, the study gives an idea of the level of echogenicity. During the examination, the condition of such tissue as the pancreatic parenchyma is determined. Ultrasound can reveal its structural changes.
- CT. The examination gives a description of the size, location of the pathology, involvement of adjacent organs. The study is quite reliable when a tumor is detected from 3 cm. However, CT is associated with X-ray exposure. Therefore, it is not recommended to conduct it often.
- MRI. The high information content of the method is combined with a lower load on the body.
- Biopsy. This is the most reliable diagnosis of cancer. A specific area of the tumor is taken for research, which is carefully examined under a microscope. The collection of the necessary material is carried out in two ways. Under ultrasound guidance, a special needle is inserted into the area of the tumor. Can be used endoscopically. A special thin tube is inserted into the patient's mouth.
- Blood test. In it, an increase in a certain substance is found in oncology. However, this characteristic may be a symptom of other diseases.
When cancer cells are found in a biopsy, the diagnosis is considered confirmed. However, to determine the stage of the disease, additional examinations will be required: chest x-ray, ultrasound of the liver.
Treatment of pathology
This disease is one of the most difficult sections of oncology. BeforeToday, doctors cannot unequivocally answer how to cure the pancreas. Difficulties associated with the advanced age of patients. In addition, patients have many comorbidities. Another factor complicating treatment is the definition of pathology in the later stages, when the tumor affects adjacent organs.
The main treatment is surgery on the pancreas. The consequences of such an intervention depend on many factors, the main of which is the stage of the pathology.
Applied, depending on the indications, and other methods of treatment:
- palliative surgery;
- radiotherapy;
- chemotherapy.
Surgical treatment
Under operation means Will's procedure. The part of the gland containing the tumor is removed from the patient. In addition to it, a part of the stomach, duodenum, gallbladder, lymph nodes, which are located near the pancreas, is subjected to the same procedure.
The need to remove so many organs is due to the anatomical location of the gland itself. The pancreas is closely adjacent to the above tissues. In this connection, the tumor spreads very quickly to adjacent organs. Their removal allows you to stop the growth of pathology.
Unfortunately, only 10-25% of cancer patients are recommended for pancreatic surgery. The consequences of surgical intervention do not exclude mortality.
At the same time, statistics give the following data, if we talk about patients withdiagnosed with pancreatic cancer:
- Without surgery, the average life expectancy of a patient is approximately 6 months.
- After surgery, this period increases, depending on the stage of the pathology, up to 1.5-2 years.
Palliative surgery
They allow:
- improve quality of life;
- eliminate pain discomfort;
- fight obstructive jaundice;
- restore duodenal patency.
There are several methods by which palliative surgery can be performed. The tumor of the pancreas, unfortunately, is not removed. However, the quality of life is improving somewhat.
Main methods include:
- Endoscopic stent placement. A special tube or wire frame is inserted into the lumen of the narrowed duct. It stretches the bile duct. Thus, the functioning of the duct is restored. Bile is freely excreted.
- Drainage installation. The meaning of the operation is similar to the previous one. Only the permeability of bile is not restored, but is brought out - into a specially designed bag.
Analgesics help fight pain. With severe discomfort, the patient is prescribed narcotic painkillers:
- Promedol.
- Morphine.
- Omnopon.
Additional treatments
To combat pancreatic cancer, patients can be treated with the following types of radiation therapy:
- exposure to bremsstrahlung;
- remote gamma therapy;
- exposure to fast electrons.
Radiotherapy can be given before, after, or sometimes instead of surgery. The patient's life expectancy is 12-13 months. If radiation therapy is combined with palliative surgery, then the average life expectancy is about 16 months.
Chemotherapy is used when it is impossible to carry out another treatment or to enhance the effect of the therapy taken. Unfortunately, this method allows only partial regression of the neoplasm to be achieved.
Prognosis of pathology
In most cases, the diagnosis is established at an advanced stage. The patient already has clinical manifestations of such a pathology as a tumor of the pancreas. The prognosis of this disease is unfavorable.
Patients are dying from rapidly increasing intoxication, cachexia, intestinal obstruction, obstructive jaundice and a number of other complications.
After the surgical intervention, the five-year survival rate of patients (according to various authors) is 8-35%.
Prevention of pathology
How to cure the pancreas in oncology? Unfortunately, this is quite difficult. And sometimes it's impossible. That is why every effort should be made to avoid getting sick.
To do this, you should listen to simple recommendations:
- Stop smoking.
- Establish proper nutrition.
- Exclude the harmful effects of the external environment (asbestos dust).
- Timely treat diseases: pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus.
- Regularly undergo preventive examinations, especially in the presence of cysts, burdened by heredity.
Do not give a single chance of pathology to develop in your body. Stay he althy!
