Pancreatic Cancer

The pancreas is the metabolic and digestive gland of the human body and a very sensitive organ. Besides unknown causes and genetic factors, chronic pancreatitis or many different cysts can lead to cancer (tumour) of the pancreas. The worst and most aggressive form, pancreatic carcinoma, can also develop directly in the pancreas - usually unnoticed and without any precursors.

Pancreatic cancer symptoms

Pancreatic tumours initially trigger hardly any symptoms or only very late. If symptoms of pancreatic cancer do appear, they are painless jaundice (icterus), weight loss, night sweats and girdle-shaped upper abdominal pain.

Diagnostics

In addition to high-resolution ultrasound, spiral computed tomography and thin-slice magnetic resonance imaging are important pillars when it comes to the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases.

Endosonography is a new milestone in diagnostics. Here, at the University Department of Surgery in Salzburg, we perform an ultrasound of the pancreas through the stomach, similar to a gastroscopy, using a high-tech mini-ultrasound head. Since the stomach is directly adjacent to the pancreas, exact findings about the type of change can be made here.

Surgical removal of carcinoma in the pancreas

Pancreatic cancer treatment

In accordance with the global standard, treatment involves surgery in case of doubt and removal of the affected area. However, this only makes sense if the tumour has not yet formed metastases in neighbouring organs.

Supplementary therapies

As high-tech process we will use - after my positive experiences - an innovative treatment method at the University Hospital for Surgery Salzburg: the so-called NanoKnife, also Irreversible Electropolation (IRE).

With the help of electrical impulsesThe NanoKnife destroys the affected tumor tissue with up to several thousand volts. In contrast to other methods, the surrounding healthy tissue is not damaged. Also tumor tissue, which difficult to reach can be treated with the NanoKnife.

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