pancreatic cancer Flashcards
1
Q
pancreatic cancer - features - symptoms + OE
A
usually adenocarcinoma
abdo pain - deep / radiates to back
weight loss
obstructive jaundice without biliary colic
rarely - steatorrhoea, diabetes, vomiting
OE - hepatomegaly, ascites, obstructive jaundice ± palpable GB (courvoisier’s law)
2
Q
pancreatic cancer - treatment
A
oft palliative - analgesia + antiemetics - 18mo prognosis
radio + chemo unresponsive
stent or surgery for jaundice, obstruction + to keep food away from biliary tract
3
Q
pancreatic cancer - investigations
A
LFT
USS - dilated ducts + confirm absence of stones + ?pancreatic mass
CT - mass + local LNs
ERCP - mass + ?biopsy + stent (or transhepatic percutaneous cholangiogram)
