Presenter Edu Guedes underwent surgery last Saturday (5) to remove a pancreatic cancer, as his advisory confirmed to CNN Brazil. There is no information on the type of surgery done by him. Known for being a very aggressive tumor, it can have a good prognosis if discovered early.
There are several types of. “The term is used in a generic way, however, it refers to the most common type of neoplasia – which originates in the exocrine part of the pancreas – the adenocarcinoma, responsible for 90% of cases. Other types include more rare cases, such as pancreatoblastomas and neuroendocrine,” explains João Paulo Fogacci de Farias, Oncoclinic Oncologist.
There are several possibilities for pancreatic cancer treatments, and surgery is considered an option if cancer grows a lot or extending to nearby blood vessels, according to Mayo Clinic, a non -profit organization of the United States, considered a medical reference. Understand, below, what are the possibilities of surgery for this type of tumor and that other treatments are possible.
Pancreatic Cancer Surgery
Surgery is the preference method to treat this tumor. “In recent decades, cancer surgery has had a great advance through minimally invasive techniques, which leads to the patient’s faster recovery and rehabilitation. Pancreatic cancer robotic surgery is promising, but studies are underway to prove their safety,” explains Farias.
Also according to Mayo Clinic, there are the following operations used to treat pancreatic cancer:
- Pancreatic head surgery: Called Whipple’s surgery, it removes the entire head from the organ, as well as the first part of the small intestine and the biliary duct. It may also be necessary to remove part of the stomach and nearby lymph nodes;
- Surgery on the pancreas body and tail: In this, these parts of the organ is removed, keeping only the head. It may also be necessary to remove the spleen;
- Full pancreas removal: Total pancreatctomy is necessary when the entire organ is removed and requests replacement of hormones and enzymes produced by it.
If nearby blood vessels have been affected, it may be necessary to remove and rebuild them. But this procedure is quite complex.
However, between 70% and 80% of cases are still diagnosed in and inoperable, it considers Farias, which greatly reduces the likelihood of cure through treatments. In addition to the withdrawal operation, other treatments can be used, such as chemotherapy (which is usually done before surgery, to reduce tumor, which facilitates its removal), radiotherapy and target therapy medications.
Early diagnosis is fundamental
Early diagnosis is the best way to enable surgery with less impairment of the organ. Remembering that the pancreas is responsible for producing the digestive juices that will be sent to the intestine and also the insulin hormone, which controls blood glucose.
There is no standard test to detect early cases of pancreatic cancer before cancer cells spread and when surgery is more likely to be useful. Throughout the United States, research teams are investigating ways to detect early cases, with many liquid biopsy tests Blood based.
What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
The main symptoms that may indicate pancreatic cancer are:
- Jaundice (yellow skin and mucous membranes);
- Dark urine (black tea color);
- Tiredness, loss of appetite and weight;
- Pain in the upper abdomen and back.
The fact that these symptoms are not specific to pancreatic cancer and are associated with a variety of different diseases contributes to most cases to receive late diagnosis of the disease.
It is important to emphasize that the diagnosis of diabeteswhich acts as a risk factor for the disease, can also precede cancer discovery.
To confirm pancreatic cancer, image exams need to be performed – such as ultrasound (conventional or endoscopic), computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging – or blood tests, including the dosage of carbohydrate antigen CA 19.9.
It is the report obtained after a biopsy of material that defines the diagnosis of neoplasia (the growth of a tumor).
*With information from Fernanda Pinotti and Jacqueline Howard, from CNN
