Surgical management of pancreatic cancer

The treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer requires the expertise of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, and surgical oncologists. The surgeon's role in the management of patients with pancreatic cancer extends beyond the performance of surgical resection and bypass procedures to include diagnosis, staging (including determination of resectability), and therapy (both curative and palliative). If a lesion is deemed resectable, the surgeon's goal is to achieve clear pathologic margins in order to optimize the patient's chances for cure. The surgeon also plays a key role in the palliation of disease in patients with unresectable lesions. Biliary and duodenal bypass, endoscopic stenting, laparoscopy, and celiac ganglion injection may be needed to maximize a patient's remaining quality of life. In addition, the surgical oncologist should be involved in clinical trials testing neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemoradiotherapies that may lead to the development of more effective therapies for pancreatic cancer.