Staging is a natural and necessary tool in treating and managing cancer of all types, including pancreatic cancer. Understanding the staging process helps you and your doctor determine a customized treatment plan that works for your specific needs. Learn more about pancreatic cancer and its stages below.
What is Pancreatic Cancer?
What is pancreatic cancer? Pancreatic cancer refers to any cancer that starts in the cells of the pancreas, which sits just behind the lower stomach.1 The pancreas secretes enzymes that help with digestion and absorb nutrients, and it produces hormones, particularly insulin, that help manage blood sugar levels.
Pancreatic cancer symptoms can vary from pancreatic cancer patient to patient and usually are not noticeable until the disease has advanced to later stages. Some of the most common pancreatic cancer symptoms and signs include:
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (known as jaundice)
- Pain in the abdomen that radiates to your back
- Blood clots
- Fatigue
- Light-colored stools
- Dark urine
- Blood clots
There is not necessarily a straightforward answer to the question, “What causes pancreatic cancer?” Pancreatic cancer is primarily caused by genetic mutations in cancer patients, which can be hereditary or a result of exposure to certain environmental factors.
Types of Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancers are primarily categorized into two main types: exocrine tumors and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs). Understanding the difference can help clarify your diagnosis and guide treatment decisions.
Exocrine Tumors
These are the most common types of pancreatic cancer, accounting for the vast majority of diagnoses.
- Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: The most common form, accounting for about 90% of cases. It originates in the exocrine cells responsible for producing digestive enzymes.2
- Other Exocrine Tumors: Includes acinar cell carcinoma and mucinous cystic neoplasms, which are rarer forms.
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETs)
PNETs are less common tumors that develop in the pancreas’s hormone-producing cells and tend to grow more slowly than exocrine tumors. They are also sometimes referred to as islet cell tumors.
- Functioning PNETs: These tumors produce hormones and can cause symptoms like insulinomas or gastrinomas.
- Non-Functioning PNETs: Do not produce hormones and are often diagnosed at a later stage.
What are the Stages of Pancreatic Cancer?
Following a positive diagnosis of the disease, the doctor will proceed to the staging process. This is important for cancer patients as it determines if the primary tumor has become a metastatic tumor, meaning it has spread to other parts of the body, and, if so, the extent of that spread. This can then inform the types of pancreatic cancer treatment options that you receive.
Staging starts with a numbering system ranging from stage 0 to stage IV. The higher the number, the more advanced the pancreatic cancer is and the farther it has spread. Stage 0 is sometimes referred to as carcinoma in situ, meaning that the cells are precancerous in a limited area. However, in most cases, it is often difficult to identify the beginning stage of pancreatic cancer, as the disease rarely presents itself until it has reached more advanced stages.
Understanding the stages helps in determining the prognosis and treatment approach. The stages can also determine the survival rate for each pancreatic cancer.
TNM Staging System Explained
Along with the number system, staging for pancreatic cancer also uses the TNM system.3 The stage combines the number and the TNM designation. Stage III T1 N2 M0, for example, refers to cancer that is confined to the pancreas with a primary tumor measuring no more than 0.8 inches across and spread to at least four nearby lymph nodes but without any metastasis to distant sites.
- T (Tumor): This indicates the size and extent of the primary tumor.
- T1: Tumor ≤2 cm.
- T2: Tumor >2 cm but ≤4 cm.
- T3: Tumor >4 cm.
- T4: Tumor involves major arteries or veins.
- N (Nodes): The nodes describe the spread to nearby lymph nodes.
- N0: No regional lymph node involvement.
- N1: 1-3 regional lymph nodes involved.
- N2: 4 or more regional lymph nodes involved.
- M (Metastasis): The metastasis indicates whether cancer has spread to distant organs.
- M0: No distant metastasis.
- M1: Distant metastasis present.
Tumor Grade
Other prognostic factors can also play a role in determining the stage and potential outlook. The pancreatic tumor grade determines the way that the pancreatic tissue looks under a microscope.
- With grade 1, the cancer looks like normal pancreatic tissue.
- Grade 3 is a cancer that looks decidedly abnormal under the microscope.
- Grade 2 tumors look like something in between.
Lower-grade cancers tend to grow and spread at a slower rate than higher-grade cancers.
Resectable vs. Unresectable
While the above staging is important in providing a summary of the cancer’s spread, doctors will use a simpler staging system for pancreatic cancer treatment purposes. This system divides the pancreatic cancer into groups based on whether the cancer cells can be removed via surgery (resected).
Cancers that are relegated to just the pancreas and appear to be fully removable are considered resectable pancreatic cancer.4 However, some tumors may only appear resectable at first. Upon surgery, the doctor may notice that the pancreatic tumor may not be fully removable.
Borderline resectable tumors have reached nearby blood vessels, but surgical removal may still be possible. An unresectable tumor is a form of advanced cancer that cannot be removed at all. This may be because it is a metastatic pancreatic cancer tumor that has grown into a major blood vessel(locally advanced) or spread to distant organs.
Later or the last stages of pancreatic cancer can be harder to treat, so it’s important to get a proper diagnosis as soon as possible.
Integrative Treatment Approaches at Immunity Therapy Center
We know that every pancreatic cancer journey is different. That’s why we take the time to truly listen to understand your symptoms, your health history, and your goals. From there, we create a customized plan that combines the best of natural and alternative therapies to support your healing, improve your quality of life, and give your body the strength it needs.
Here are a few of the therapies we may include as part of your treatment:
1. Sonodynamic Therapy
This gentle, non-invasive therapy uses ultrasound waves and a natural sensitizer to help break down cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Sonodynamic Therapy is especially helpful for deeper tumors like those in the pancreas, and many of our patients appreciate that it works with their body, not against it.
2. Intravenous Curcumin Therapy
Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory derived from turmeric. By administering Intravenous Curcumin Therapy directly into your bloodstream, we’re able to deliver its healing properties right where they’re needed. It helps reduce inflammation and may slow cancer cell growth, which are two important benefits for pancreatic cancer support.
3. Laser Cancer Therapy
Laser energy is used to precisely target and shrink tumors without harming surrounding healthy tissue. Laser Cancer Therapy can be a great option if you’re looking for a therapy that avoids damaging surrounding tissues. We often combine this procedure with other approaches to give you the most comprehensive care possible.
4. Regenerative Cell Cancer Therapy
Also known as peptide treatment, the Regenerative Cell Cancer Therapy approach uses cellular signaling peptides to repair and regenerate damaged pancreatic tissue. It supports your body’s healing process and may enhance outcomes when combined with other cancer treatment methods.
5. Insulin Potentiation Therapy (IPT)
Insulin Potentiation Therapy uses low-dose chemotherapy combined with insulin to increase the uptake of drugs by pancreatic cancer cells. This treatment aims to reduce toxic side effects while improving the effectiveness of conventional therapy.
Contact the Immunity Therapy Center About Your Pancreatic Cancer
Everyone at Immunity Therapy Center understands the serious nature of pancreatic cancer and is dedicated to providing you with the best possible pancreatic cancer treatment. We are proud to provide healthcare that’s both the highest possible quality and affordable. We provide you and every single other patient with high-quality, affordable cancer treatment that’s effective and compassionate.
Every single time you visit our facility, you’ll be greeted warmly and treated with dignity. Most importantly, you know that we are using every single resource available to us in our battle to treat your cancer. Contact us and learn more about what options you have concerning pancreatic cancer. It’s an action that could save your life.
Written By: Dr. Pablo Orozco
Dr. Pablo Orozco is a Board Certified Medical Doctor from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Dr. Orozco has been a treating physician at the Immunity Therapy Center for more than 3 years providing daily on site patient care. He works with patients on a daily basis and guides them through the treatment process. Dr. Orozco’s passion for Alternative Cancer Treatments along with his commitment to patient care is key to insure that our patients have the best experience and results possible.
Sources:
- National Library of Medicine. Pancreatic Cancer. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK518996/
- American Cancer Society. What Is Pancreatic Cancer?. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/pancreatic-cancer/about/what-is-pancreatic-cancer.html
- Cancer Research UK. TNM staging for pancreatic cancer. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/pancreatic-cancer/stages-types-grades/tnm-staging
- American Cancer Society. Pancreatic Cancer Stages. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/pancreatic-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/staging.html
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.