Surgical approaches to pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer continues to be a significant health problem. Recent advances in medical technologies allow patients with pancreatic cancer to undergo diagnosis, staging, treatment, and palliation, and to minimize the traditional use of laparotomy as a method of obtaining information to facilitate treatment planning. Pancreatic surgery, which can impact duration and quality of life, can be reserved for that subset of patients likely to benefit from a surgical approach tailored to the specific needs of the individual patient.