Pancreatic cancer treatment: Why is it so challenging?

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, killing more than 95 percent of people diagnosed with it — usually within six months of diagnosis. There are several reasons why pancreatic cancer treatment is often unsuccessful.

If pancreatic cancer is found early, surgical removal may cure it. But only 15 percent to 20 percent of pancreatic cancers are found in the early stages of the disease. Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer often recurs even after surgical removal.

People with pancreatic cancer usually have no symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage. The pancreas sits deep within the abdomen — where it can't be seen or detected on a physical examination. In addition, pancreatic cancer often spreads to nearby organs — including the liver, gallbladder and intestines — very early in the course of the disease.

For unknown reasons, pancreatic cancer is also relatively resistant to many chemotherapy drugs. However, several newer drugs do show promise in increasing the response rate to pancreatic cancer treatment.