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What do doctors mean by 'resectable,' 'locally advanced,' and 'metastatic,' and how does this affect treatment?
Doctors check how much a pancreatic cancer has grown or spread. This can affect how hard the cancer is to treat. Pancreatic cancer is hard to find early.
Doctors check how much a pancreatic cancer has grown or spread. This can affect how hard the cancer is to treat.
Pancreatic cancer is hard to catch early. It usually does not cause symptoms right away. To find how far it has spread, doctors use an exam and blood tests. They also use imaging tests and a biopsy.
Pancreatic cancer is often found late and spreads quickly. This can make it hard to treat. Possible treatments include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs that attack specific cancer cells. This causes less harm to normal cells.
Your care team can explain what words like these mean for a specific cancer. They can also talk through which treatment options might be considered.
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This page is educational, not medical advice. Talk with your care team about decisions that apply to you. If something feels urgent, contact your care team — for emergencies call your local emergency number.
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