Periampullary Cancer Treatment

Periampullary cancer is considered a pancreatic cancer which is present where the pancreas and liver join to enter the small intestine. Periampullary cancer cases have risen over the past few decades and are included with statistics on pancreatic cancer, ranking it the fourth most deadly cancer in the United States. Although the cancer is considered incurable, periampullary cancer treatment is available.

Surgery

• Some cases of periampullary cancer can be treated with surgery, but they are few because the cancer must not have spread beyond the periampullary area of the pancreas to other organs, blood vessels or lymph nodes. Seldom is periampullary cancer caught in the early stages of the disease. When surgery is an option, it involves removing a portion of the pancreas, the gall bladder, the small intestine, a portion of the bile duct and sometimes even part of the stomach. The spleen might also need to be removed. The surgeon will reconnect what remains of the pancreas, intestines and stomach to allow digestion. There is a risk of bleeding and infection, and the surgery might cause temporary diabetes. Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of the surgery. Expect to spend at least 10 days in the hospital and a recovery of several weeks spent at home.

Targeted Drug Therapy

• Targeted drug therapy is being used more often to treat periampullary cancer. The drugs are targeted at select abnormalities within the cancer cells. The drug Tarceva is used to block chemicals that clue cancer cells when to divide and grow. The drug Erlotinib might be combined with chemotherapy in patients who have advanced periampullary cancer. Other targeted drug therapy treatments are still being studied in clinical trials. One drug being studied is Erbitux, which is similar to Eroltinib but attacks the cancer cells in a different way.

Clinical Trials

• Clinical trials are a popular form of treatment for periampullary cancer. Since there is no cure for the cancer, patients are eager to participate in studies that might prove successful. Clinical trials for periampullary cancer involve trying new drugs or new developments in radiation treatments or surgery. The trials might render unexpected and even serious side effects, but they grant the patient access to cancer treatments that would otherwise not be available to them. Currently in clinical trials, drugs are being developed that may be able to stop cancer from growing and spreading. And vaccines are being investigated that target the immune system and may be able to keep people from ever developing cancerous cells.