Head of Pancreas Tumor

A 55-year-old woman was admitted to a hospital in April 2012 with a head pancreas tumour. Her tumour was identified on a triphasic CT scan and ultrasound. At laparotomy, the tumour was deemed inoperable. A was performed. A pathology report revealed that the tumour was a World Health Organization grade 1 neuroendocrine tumour. An F-FDG PET-CT scan also revealed active metabolism.

EUS-FNA diagnosis of the head of the pancreas tumour

EUS-FNA is a noninvasive imaging procedure that can guide pancreatic biopsy. Its high sensitivity and specificity make it an excellent imaging technique for pancreatic malignancies. It has also been used to enhance diagnostic yield for pancreatic lesions and to guide the locoregional staging of pancreatic cancer.

EUS-FNA was highly specific and sensitive, and the results were accurate in 85 of 100 patients (85.0%). Its positive predictive value was high, and the negative predictive value was high. Five of the eight patients whose EUS-FNA did not detect a tumour had a negative result despite further diagnostic procedures.

Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer

The early detection of pancreatic cancer is vital to your overall health and quality of life. The earlier you can receive treatment, the better your chance of recovery. Your healthcare provider can perform imaging tests to look for signs of pancreatic cancer. One such test is endoscopic ultrasound. The procedure involves inserting a thin tube with a camera into the abdomen. This allows your doctor to view your pancreas and guide a biopsy.

The most common early sign of pancreatic cancer is the sudden onset of diabetes in an otherwise healthy person. If you have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and are taking a new medication for this condition, this could be a sign of a pancreatic tumour. Another common sign is increased bile in your urine. If your stools are light in colour, you may have a blockage in the bile duct. A large tumour in the head of the pancreas usually presents with more severe symptoms.

Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment of the head of the pancreas is one option for pancreatic cancer. The tumour is removed, and nearby structures, including the bile duct, gallbladder, and lymph nodes near the pancreas, are also removed. The remaining organs are then reattached to the small intestine, which allows food to pass through the digestive tract.

The pancreas head is the round part of the organ, located near the bile ducts and small intestine. It is also close to the major blood vessels, including the portal vein and the hepatic artery. Surgical treatment of the head of the pancreas tumour is sometimes required if the tumour has metastasized to nearby blood vessels.

Prognosis

Although the mortality rate associated with the head of pancreas tumours is low, a significant survival benefit is found in patients diagnosed with stages I and II. In contrast, a higher mortality rate occurs in patients diagnosed with stage III tumours, which are usually locally advanced and unresectable. Fortunately, treatments are available for stage III pancreatic tumours, and many patients have a good prognosis.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death among adult males and women. In the United States, it accounts for 3% of all cancers. Despite this, the survival rate for the localized, resectable disease is 17%. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include smoking and specific familial cancer syndromes, although the relationship between these factors and prognosis is unclear. The most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer include epigastric or back pain. In addition, more than half of patients develop distant metastases.