Pancreatic cancer treatment at GenesisCare

There are a number of options of treatment available for pancreatic cancer at GenesisCare, such as:

• Surgery – removal of part or all of the pancreas
• Chemotherapy – anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs that destroy the cancerous cells
• Radiotherapy – high-energy radiation beams which are targeted at the cancer cells

At GenesisCare, we diagnose and treat a wide range of cancers, and we understand that this can be a very worrying time. Our diagnostic services are world-class, and our commitment is to give you the answers you need, as quickly as possible. It’s important to remember that symptoms can often be caused by other conditions and not always pancreatic cancer. But, whatever your diagnosis, we can make sure you get the expert care you need and without delay.

If you’re concerned about pancreatic cancer symptoms, we offer specialist diagnostics and tests for pancreatic cancer in our centres. Here you’ll see one of our expert consultants who specialise in cancers affecting the pancreas. They’ll assess your symptoms and, if necessary, refer you for diagnostic tests such as imaging scans (including ultrasound, CT, MRI and PET/CT), laparoscopy, biopsy or blood tests.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer don’t usually appear until quite late. They can also be vague, which makes it a complex condition to diagnose. The most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer are:

• Back pain
• Stomach pain
• Unexpected weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Jaundice – yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
• Extreme tiredness

Other signs of pancreatic cancer may include:

• Itchy skin
• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes in bowel habits
• Diabetes
• High temperature
• Indigestion
• Blood clots

Other benign conditions may cause these symptoms and having one or more of the signs above doesn’t mean you have pancreatic cancer. If you’re concerned about pancreatic cancer, you should talk to your GP, and they can refer you to a specialist if they think it’s needed, or you can book directly with us.

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you, together with the ways your treatment plan and supportive care can help manage or minimise these.

Chemotherapy uses cytotoxic (anti-cancer) drugs to slow the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer can be delivered on its own or in combination with radiotherapy (chemoradiation). You’ll likely have chemotherapy or chemoradiation before surgery to reduce the size of your tumour before the operation, or after surgery to prevent cancer from coming back. Chemotherapy is also used when pancreatic cancer has spread to other organs.

If your cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it’s called advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. At GenesisCare, you can receive palliative drug treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer. Palliative treatment can include chemotherapy to reduce the size and progress of your cancer, or other treatments that aim to ease any symptoms.

For some advanced cancers, we use specialist tests, such as liquid biopsy or genomic testing, to understand the genetic make-up of cancer cells. This helps us to identify which drugs are available to work against the particular genetic mutations in a cancer, allowing us to start effective treatment without delay.

There may also be opportunities to access clinical trials for the newest treatments for ­­­­pancreatic cancer.

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you depending on your drug treatment, together with how your treatment plan and supportive care can help manage or minimise these.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a modern radiotherapy technique that directs beams of radiation in an arc across the treatment area. Together with surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT), it’s possible to precisely target areas of cancer, adjusting the beam and intensity of the radiation dose to allow for movements in the body and avoid healthy tissues. Side effects of radiotherapy occur when healthy tissues receive radiation, so using this technique helps to limit the dose to tissues and organs surrounding the tumour. At GenesisCare, we offer VMAT wherever possible because it is widely recognised to be the highest standard of care currently available for patients needing this type of radiotherapy.

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is a high-precision form of radiotherapy that allows large doses of radiation to be accurately delivered to a target while keeping the surrounding areas within a much lower dose.

At GenesisCare, we have the UK’s first MRIdian MR linac machine, which delivers MRI-guided SABR. MRI-guided SABR uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with live images to see exactly where a tumour is at the same time as treating it. This next-generation technology automatically shuts off the radiation beam when the tumour moves out of the target area, for example, due to breathing. This means SABR can be delivered effectively by avoiding the healthy pancreatic tissue and organs surrounding the tumours, such as the stomach and small bowel. For pancreatic cancers, this provides an alternative to surgery and other treatments that may not suit some patients.

For patients who have previously undergone radiotherapy, SABR reirradiation (also known as repeat SABR) may be an option. At GenesisCare we deliver SABR reirradiation on the MRIdian. The advanced technology of the MRIdian means radiation is focused with increased accuracy on the tumour, minimising exposure to healthy surrounding tissues that may have already been exposed to radiation in the past.

Find out more about MRIdian for pancreatic cancer.

We also offer palliative VMAT radiotherapy for those living with advanced pancreatic cancer, where it has spread elsewhere in the body, to improve pain and increase mobility. We understand that fast access to palliative care is paramount and can usually provide treatment within 48 hours of a planning imaging scan.

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you start your course of radiotherapy, together with the ways your treatment plan and integrative care can help to manage or minimise these.

We also offer a wellbeing expert and holistic therapies such as counselling, acupuncture, massage and reflexology through our unique partnership with the Penny Brohn UK charity. This service is available to all ­­­­­pancreatic cancer patients at any of our 14 UK centres.