Pancreatic cancer treatment: Why is it so challenging?

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers. Even with aggressive treatment, the prognosis is poor. Various factors stack the odds against successful pancreatic cancer treatment.

For example:

• Early detection is uncommon. Few pancreatic cancers are found in the early stages of the disease, when the cancerous cells can be surgically removed. Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer — such as pain in the upper abdomen, yellow skin and eyes, and weight loss — don't typically occur until the disease is advanced.
• Pancreatic cancer tends to spread quickly. The pancreas lies at the junction of several very important structures in your abdomen, making it easy for the cancer to spread into these structures and organs.  Pancreatic cancer often spreads to nearby organs — including the liver, gallbladder and intestines — early in the course of the disease.
• Recurrence is likely. Even after surgical removal, pancreatic cancer often recurs.

In addition, pancreatic cancer tends to be relatively resistant to chemotherapy. However, several newer drugs show promise in increasing the response rate to pancreatic cancer treatment.