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What Is The Treatment For Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer?
Mother has Pancreatic CA, stage 4, and it has reached the liver. The Chemo Gensec made the tumors of 1 cm grow. Is there any other treatments available. She can not have a scan with die do to Kidney function. Radiation? Her Oncoligist, said, to get your affairs in order, you have 3-6 months. She is exhausted and uses half of Tylenol #4, for headache pain. Has a blood clot near her aorta.
Mon, 9 Mar 2015
Hi,
Thanks for writing in.
Having pancreas cancer stage 4 is a concern. The most important condition is right not to control clot formation and somehow prevent it from reaching the lung. I suppose the clot is in the IVC. Blood clot reducing medication might be required to be given under supervision of her doctor. This can be a risky case. Next comes the kidney function. Her blood urea and serum creatinine need to be kept under observation and if required dialysis is to be started. First peritoneal dialysis and then hemodialysis.
Treating of the cancer is also important but for this her condition should be stable and fit to take treatment. Chemotherapy or focused radiation might help in increasing survival. Surgery is ruled out for pancreas cancer stage 4 because that will cause more spread of cancer by seeding and shorten the survival.
Thanks for writing in.
Having pancreas cancer stage 4 is a concern. The most important condition is right not to control clot formation and somehow prevent it from reaching the lung. I suppose the clot is in the IVC. Blood clot reducing medication might be required to be given under supervision of her doctor. This can be a risky case. Next comes the kidney function. Her blood urea and serum creatinine need to be kept under observation and if required dialysis is to be started. First peritoneal dialysis and then hemodialysis.
Treating of the cancer is also important but for this her condition should be stable and fit to take treatment. Chemotherapy or focused radiation might help in increasing survival. Surgery is ruled out for pancreas cancer stage 4 because that will cause more spread of cancer by seeding and shorten the survival.
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