Pancreatic Cancer

Managing Symptoms

For many patients, controlling the symptoms of pancreatic cancer is as important as treating the disease. Mayo Clinic specialists offer a broad range of therapeutic options to improve jaundice, ease pain, address eating difficulties and weight loss, and manage depression. Mayo physicians are committed to relieving suffering and preserving quality of life for every patient.

Jaundice

Jaundice — yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes, sometimes along with nausea and severe itching — develops when cancer blocks the bile ducts. To relieve the blockage, Mayo physicians place a small stent in the duct during a minimally invasive procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. This approach, which spares patients needless and potentially debilitating surgery, is also used to drain pseudocysts, noncancerous collections of fluid around the pancreas, which often result from chronic pancreatitis.

Pain

Severe, sometimes intractable pain is the most troubling aspect of pancreatic cancer and the most difficult to manage. This is especially true as the disease becomes more advanced and invades the celiac plexus, a network of nerves in your abdomen. At Mayo Clinic, effective and compassionate pain management is the highest priority. Physical and emotional comfort is essential, both for your overall well-being and for improving your response to therapy. Evidence shows that uncontrolled pain reduces the effectiveness of treatment and so affects not just the quality of life, but also its length. When pancreatic pain doesn't respond or becomes resistant to medications, Mayo Clinic physicians may suggest one or more of the following:

• Celiac plexus neurolysis: This innovative procedure uses alcohol to destroy the celiac nerves. The traditional method is to inject the alcohol into the celiac ganglia through the patient's back, but this can cause potentially serious side effects. Mayo endoscopists perform neurolysis under the guidance of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), virtually eliminating the risk of complications. The same procedure is also used to remove precancerous pancreatic cysts.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation, with or without chemotherapy, can relieve pain and improve quality of life.
• Complementary and alternative therapies. Mayo Clinic offers a wide range of complementary therapies known to reduce pain, including acupuncture, massage and vibration therapy, through the clinic's Complementary and Integrative Medicine program. The benefits of these treatments may extend beyond pain relief, helping you feel calmer and less anxious.

Weight loss

Because pancreatic cancer interferes with your ability to process and digest food and because cancer therapy can also affect your appetite, you are likely to lose weight before and during treatment. For some people, weight loss can be severe and may be complicated by blood sugar problems. At Mayo Clinic, you receive nutrition counseling and support during treatment and as part of your follow-up care.

Depression and fatigue

Mayo Clinic specialists work together to address all needs of pancreatic cancer patients. Fatigue and depression are difficult, if common, problems that may start before you ever experience physical symptoms. Your treatment team monitors you closely to ensure that you receive prompt and caring attention from professionals with special expertise in treating cancer patients.