Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and recently, there has been increasing attention towards locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LAPC). This type of cancer occurs when the cancer has spread into the tissues surrounding the pancreas, as opposed to being confined to the organ itself.

In a 2013 study, it was estimated that in the United States, approximately 85,1000 people were living with LAPC. One of the biggest challenges with treating this type of cancer is that it is often old before many of the traditional screening techniques can detect it. This means that many patients find out they have the disease too late, and the prognosis is typically poor.

Other complications from LAPC include pain in the back or abdomen, weight loss, jaundice, nausea, and depression. The best course of treatment for the disease is typically surgery to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. For those patients who cannot have surgery due to the size or location of the tumor, other treatments such as targeted drug therapies and immunotherapies can be used.

Complications of LAPC

Pain in the back or abdomen
Weight loss
Jaundice
Nausea
Depression

Treatments for LAPC

Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiation
Targeted drug therapies
Immunotherapies