Patient Education Cancer of the Pancreas: A Care Guide | Page 10

Treatment
Chemotherapy
In most cases the aim of treatment is
to control tumor growth and relieve
symptoms. Only when pancreatic
cancer is found very early is a cure
a possibility. Methods of treatment
may include radiation therapy,
chemotherapy, and surgery.
Chemotherapy is the use of
medication to destroy cancer cells.
It is often given through an IV
(intravenous) or by mouth. Because
the drugs go throughout the body,
they are useful for cancer that has
spread beyond the place where it
started.
Chemotherapy may be used at any
stage of pancreatic cancer. It can
be used before surgery along with
radiation to shrink the tumor ahead of
time. It may be used after the cancer
has been removed in surgery to try
to destroy any cancer cells still in the
body. It can also be used for people
with advanced cancer.
The most common chemotherapy
medications used are:
• Gemcitabine (Gemzar ® )
• Cisplatin (Platinol-AQ ® )
• 5-FU (Fluorouracil, Adrucil ® )
• Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin ® )
• Erlotinib (Tarceva ® )
• Capecitabine (Xeloda ® )
• Abraxane ®
• Immunotherapy
These may be used in combination
with each other, in combination with
radiation therapy, or alone.
Chemotherapy can cause side effects,
which may include nausea, loss
of appetite, mouth sores, diarrhea,
or hair loss. Medication is given to
prevent nausea, and the nurse will
guide you on ways to deal with other
side effects.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment
that uses beams of high-energy X-rays
to kill cancer cells.
How and Why it’s Given:
• Daily, 5 days a week, for several
weeks.
• Alone or with chemotherapy.
• Before surgery to help reduce the
size of the tumor to make removal
easier.
• After surgery to help prevent the
cancer from coming back.
• When surgery is not an option, to
slow the growth or to help with
pain.
Radiation Facts:
• Radiation treatment does not cause
pain.
• Side effects are limited to the area
that is being treated.
• Side effects can build up over time
and continue to last for a few weeks
after treatment.
• Most common side effects are
fatigue, decreased appetite, nausea,
and diarrhea. Talk with your doctor
about medications that may help.

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