|
pancreatic cancer, exocrine - Conventional Treatments
(Source: HealthAtoZ)
|
|
|
|
After cancer of the pancreas has been diagnosed, doctors typically use a TNM staging system to classify the tumor based on its size and the degree to which it has spread to other areas in the body. T indicates the size and local advancement of the primary tumor. Since cancers often invade the lymphatic system before spreading to other organs, regional lymph node involvement (N) is an important factor in staging. M indicates whether the tumor has metastasized (spread) to distant organs. In stage I, the tumor is localized to the pancreas and has not spread to surrounding lymph nodes or other organs. Stage II pancreatic cancer has spread to nearby organs such as the small intestine or bile duct, but not the surrounding lymph nodes. Stage III indicates lymph node involvement, whether the cancer has spread to nearby organs or not. Stage IVA pancreatic cancer has spread to organs near the pancreas such as the stomach, spleen, or colon. Stage IVB is a cancer that has spread to distant sites (liver, lung). If pancreatic cancer has been treated with success and then appears again in the pancreas or in other organs, it is referred to as recurrent disease.
...
[ read more.. ]
|
|
|
