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Pancreatic Cancer
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Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

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When pancreatic cancer is suspected, there are basic tools used to diagnose it:

  • Physical examination.
  • Patient's medical history.
  • Ultrasound of the abdomen.
  • Chest and abdominal CT is the test of choice to diagnose and evaluate how extensive the tumour is in pancreatic cancer. It is based on evaluating the degree of vascular invasion (venous and arterial) and the presence or absence of metastatic disease. 15%-20% of cases are resectable (no vascular infiltration). 5% are borderline resectable (with focal vascular infiltration), and 10% are locally advanced (greater vascular infiltration). 65%-70% of cases are metastatic.
  • Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration or endoscopic ultrasound with biopsy should be performed to obtain a cytohistological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Cytohistological diagnosis can also be obtained in metastases in metastatic patients.

Whenever a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is established and before starting any treatment, it is necessary to determine liver and renal function, blood count, nutritional parameters and the tumour marker (CA 19-9) by means of a blood test.

Stages of cancer

Pancreatic cancer is classified into four main groups:  

  • Resectable. The tumour can be removed with surgery.
  • Borderline resectable.  The tumour is close to vascular structures, which makes it difficult to achieve complete surgical resection.
  • Locally advanced. This means the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas to blood vessels or other nearby tissues, with the result that it cannot be completely removed by surgery.
  • Metastatic. The cancer has spread beyond the pancreas to other organs and tissues in the body.
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What is Cancer?

General information about Cancer

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