| Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are mainly used for | | | | surgery, in these cases, doesn't appear to have any |
| palliative purposes in pancreatic cancer. Radiotherapy | | | | additional survival benefit. Radiotherapy can also be |
| and chemotherapy are usually combined with surgery, | | | | used to reduce pain and other symptoms associated |
| the main modality of treatment, in pancreatic cancer | | | | .chemotherapy |
| management. | | | | Chemotherapy involves administration of drugs that |
| Radiotherapy | | | | kill the cancer cells. chemotherapy is a form of |
| Radiation therapy is a form of local therapy in that it | | | | systemic therapy. chemotherapy drugs not only kill |
| only affects the cells in the treated areas. During | | | | the cancerous cells, but also the normal cells of the |
| radiotherapy cancer sites are exposed to high dose | | | | body resulting in various side effects. |
| of ionizing radiation(x-rays) which kills the cancer cells. | | | | Chemotherapy drugs are usually given through |
| External beam radiation therapy is the most | | | | injection. After the drug enters the bloodstream it |
| commonly used mode of radiation therapy in | | | | reaches different areas of the body killing cancerous |
| pancreatic cancer. Nearby normal structures may also | | | | cells, which have spread from the original site of |
| be damaged during radiotherapy. Hence the dose of | | | | cancer. |
| radiotherapy has to be carefully calculated .The | | | | Pancreas cancer is highly resistant to chemotherapy |
| patient usually receives 5 doses of radiotherapy a | | | | drugs. Currently available chemotherapeutic drugs are |
| week for several weeks or months. | | | | not effective in killing pancreas cancer cells. This is |
| Radiation therapy can be administered prior to | | | | one of the reasons for the high mortality rates in |
| surgery, preoperatively or after surgery, | | | | pancreas cancer. Chemotherapy, at present, is not |
| postoperatively. If patient is scheduled to undergo | | | | used for curative purposes but only for palliative |
| surgery preoperative radiotherapy is preferred as | | | | purposes i.e. alleviation of symptoms |
| preoperative radiotherapy can reduce the tumor bulk | | | | Gemcitabine and 5-flourouracil are the most |
| and help in performing surgery. Radiotherapy | | | | commonly used drugs in the treatment of pancreatic |
| immediately after the surgery may not be feasible, | | | | cancer. |
| as the patient will be recovering from the surgery | | | | To read more about treatment of pancreatic cancer |
| and radiotherapy may actually delay the recovery. | | | | and other cancer related articles visit my site |
| Radiotherapy can be used in combination with | | | | onlinecancersupport. |
| chemotherapy to treat metastasized cancers as | | | | |