[Pancreatic carcinoma--symptoms and diagnostic procedure].
Pancreatic carcinoma is characterized by painful symptoms and an extraordinary unfavourable prognosis. To offer the patient a therapy adjusted to the individual situation the diagnostic work-up has to clear several questions. It is essential to have reliable proof of the diagnosis itself, as well as the stage of the disease. In addition, one should be able to locate the origin of complaints. The diagnostic power of the available invasive and non-invasive techniques increased in recent years. The quality of the diagnostic means depends to a great amount on the experience of the investigator. The most important goal of the diagnostic procedure is to identify metastatic or locally advanced disease without laparotomy. In this case palliative therapy canbe initiated immediately. When the findings are not conclusive, only diagnostic laparotomy can definitely show ifthere is a chance for curative resection.
Gräter
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Medizinische Klinik, Fachbereich Gastroenterologie, Städtische Kliniken Esslingen.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate