Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive oncological diseases with a poor prognosis. However, even with this pathology, good treatment results can be expected abroad. Pancreatic cancer surgery in Germany is successful and often minimally invasive; other options include complex chemotherapy regimens and chemoembolization, sparing and precise types of radiation therapy, ablation, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.
What if pancreatic cancer is suspected
A tumor can be detected by abdominal ultrasound, but further tests are required to confirm the diagnosis.
A CT scan with contrast will be done to determine the operability of the tumor. The doctor assesses the size of the neoplasm, its configuration, location, spreading into large vessels and neighboring organs, and may detect metastatic foci in lymph nodes or other organs. MRI is used less often. Special types of this scan help the doctor to examine the pancreas and bile ducts without additional invasive procedures.
Biopsy is the main method of confirming the diagnosis, it is performed in most patients. A diagnosis is made without a biopsy only if the tumor is small and it is planned to be completely removed during surgery. In this case, tissue samples can be examined after surgery in Germany.
Diagnostic laparoscopy is used to diagnose pancreatic cancer if other methods do not allow accurate assessment of the resectability of the tumor. It is a small surgical operation: the doctor introduces a video camera into the abdominal cavity through a short incision on the abdomen, conducts an examination, and obtains tissue samples for histological examination.
Surgical options for pancreatic cancer
Only 20% of patients are candidates for radical surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer. For the rest, only palliative surgery is performed. It prevents complications but cannot cure the disease.
Radical surgery to remove the tumor is technically complex, unsafe, and must be performed by experienced surgeons. Surgical options for pancreatic cancer treatment abroad are as follows:
Whipple’s surgery is the most common surgery. It is performed when the tumor is located in the head of the pancreas. Neoplasms of this localization are more often detected in the operable stage, since they cause jaundice earlier. During the operation, the doctor removes the head of the pancreas, duodenum, lymph nodes, part of the common bile duct and stomach, gallbladder, large omentum. Then anastomoses are formed to restore the continuity of the digestive tract, to ensure the outflow of bile and pancreatic juice into the small intestine.
Distal pancreatosplenectomy is a surgery to remove a malignant tumor that develops in the tail of the pancreas. This part of the organ is removed along with the spleen.
Total pancreatectomy is used rarely: in situations where the tumor has affected different parts of the pancreas, but at the same time has not gone beyond its borders and has not affected large vessels. After complete removal of the organ, the patient must receive lifelong replacement therapy with digestive enzymes (pancreatin) and pancreatic hormones (insulin).
In German clinics, operations for pancreatic cancer are performed using laparoscopic access. Such interventions are less traumatic. If performed by experienced surgeons, they provide survival rates comparable to open surgery.
Drugs for pancreatic cancer
Chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer is carried out in such cases:
- Before surgery to shrink the tumor
- After surgery to destroy the remaining cancer cells
- For inoperable tumors, as the main treatment option.
Chemotherapy is usually combined with radiation (chemoradiation). For stage 4 pancreatic cancer, it is combined with targeted and immunotherapy. These drugs block the growth of new blood vessels, inhibit cancer cell division and stimulate the immune response against the tumor.
Ablation and chemoembolization
Small tumors can be destroyed by ablation, i.e. radiofrequency or microwave ablation. Cancer cells are killed by high temperatures. The procedure is minimally invasive and is used in the early stages of cancer when surgery is contraindicated.
Embolization and chemoembolization are treatments that are effective even for large neoplasms. In the leading hospitals, doctors block the blood vessels that feed the tumor with microspheres containing chemo drugs. These are usually injected into the gastroduodenal artery. The blood supply to the tissues of the neoplasm is stopped and some of the tumor cells die. Additional effect on the tumor is provided by chemotherapeutic preparations that are released from the microspheres and enter the pancreatic tissue.
Specialized German hospitals
You can undergo pancreatic cancer treatment abroad in order to get the best results. This option is suitable for people who are looking for more innovative and effective treatment.
Booking Health specialists will provide you with the information about specialized healthcare facilities and organize your trip. On the website you can see pancreatic cancer treatment costs in different hospitals, compare them and book a medical program at an advantageous price. Using Booking Health services, you will not only receive the highest level of care, but you will also save up to 50%: the medical expenses will be reduced due to the exclusion of fees for foreign patients.
