[Conclusions concerning the symptomatic treatment of cancer of the pancreas].
Symptomatic treatment is the only possibility in the large majority of patients with pancreatic cancer since a curative surgical excision of the tumor is only possible in less than 5% of cases. In most cases, symptomatic treatment must take short survival rate into consideration. Symptoms managed, in the aim to improve the quality of remaining life include weight loss and anorexia, abdominal pain, jaundice secondary to biliary compression, and sometimes digestive consequences of pancreatic surgery. Weight loss can be treated with nutritional support (particularly enteral nutrition) but the indications of such a treatment are rare. Abdominal pain should be treated by potent analgesics (opiates) and sometimes by percutaneous block of the coeliac ganglion rather than abdominal radiotherapy. Jaundice can be treated by surgical biliary drainage or better still by palliative biliary endoprothesis. Finally, digestive consequences of pancreatic surgery require symptomatic treatment.
Service de gastro-entérologie, hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France.
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Bernades
D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D006801:Humans; D059408:Pain Management; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total
Conclusions sur le traitement symptomatique du cancer du pancréas.