How is Pancreatic Cancer Treated

Stage Information

Stages of cancer of the pancreas

     Once cancer of the pancreas is found, more tests will be done to find out if the cancer has spread from the pancreas to the tissues around it or to other parts of the body. This is called staging. The following stages are used for cancer of the pancreas:

Stage I

     Cancer is found only in the pancreas itself and has not spread to other organs.

Stage II

     Cancer has spread to nearby organs, such as the duodenum or bile duct, but has not entered the lymph nodes. (Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped structures that are found throughout the body; they produce and store infection-fighting cells).

Stage III

     Cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the pancreas. The cancer may or may not have spread to nearby organs.

Stage IVA

     Cancer has spread to organs, such as the stomach, spleen, or colon, that are near the pancreas but has not spread distant organs, such as the liver or lungs.

Stage IVB

     Cancer has spread to organs, such as the stomach, spleen, or colon, that are near the pancreas or to places far away from the pancreas, such as the liver or lungs.

Recurrent

     Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may come back in the pancreas or in another part of the body.

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