Ampullary Cancer

Treatment

Your treatment team will diagnose the type of ampullary cancer and collaborate to plan the most effective treatment for you. Treatment options depend on many factors, including the tumor's type, size and stage.

Surgery

Surgery is the most common treatment for ampullary cancer. During surgery, doctors may also remove nearby lymph nodes to determine if the disease has spread. Sometimes doctors can perform minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery, using a camera and miniature instruments inserted through tiny incisions in the abdomen. If the ampullary tumor is large or has spread, surgeons will usually recommend a Whipple procedure (pancreatoduodenectomy), which involves removing the cancer and part of your pancreas. Local removal only for cancer has a limited effectiveness.

Other therapies

Your doctors may recommend radiation therapy and chemotherapy if surgery is not an option or along with surgery to improve chances of cancer control. Radiation and chemotherapy may also be used for people whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body