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Pancreatic Cancer

Marcelle Meseeha, FACP, MD and Maximos Attia, FAAFP, MD Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Adenocarcinoma of the exocrine pancreas (90% of pancreatic cancers) is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the US.

  • Rarely curable: overall 5-year relative survival rate of...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Depends on tumor location; majority become symptomatic late in disease. About 60–70% of pancreatic cancers develop in the pancreatic head and block the periampullary bile duct, causin...

TREATMENT

  • Surgical resection: only chance of cure; no role for pancreatic resection in metastatic disease.

  • Nonmetastatic pancreatic cancer is classified as resectable, borderline resectable, or locally...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Assessment of treatment at 2 to 3 months from the initiation of therapy. CT with contrast is the preferred. Routine PET scan is not recommended. CA19-9 is not s...

REFERENCE

1
Ducreux  M, Cuhna  AS, Caramella  C, et al; for ESMO Guidelines Committee. Cancer of the pancreas: ESMO clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and fol...

CODES

ICD10

  • C25.3 Malignant neoplasm of pancreatic duct

  • C25.0 Malignant neoplasm of head of pancreas

  • C25.2 Malignant neoplasm of tail of pancreas

  • C25.9 Malignant neoplasm of pancreas, unspecified

  • C25.8 Mal...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Adenocarcinoma of the exocrine pancreas (90% of pancreatic cancers) is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the US.

  • 90% diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die from the disease,...

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