title: Pancreatic cancer - current management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pancreatic cancer remains a common and lethal cancer with a median survival of approximately 6 months.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article discusses the current management of pancreatic cancer, both potentially curative and palliative treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical resection of the primary tumour is only possible in about 10% of cases as many patients have locally advanced or metastatic disease at the time of presentation. For the majority of patients, treatment is palliative and may include surgical treatments or endoscopic or percutaneous stenting to relieve obstructive jaundice or gastric obstruction, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or interventional radiological techniques. Adequate pain relief and treatment of pancreatic insufficiency are important components of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria. ben.thomson@petermac.org
authors.forename: Benjamin N J
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Simon W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Banting
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gibbs
mesh_terms: D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D010188:Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D017219:Gastric Outlet Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000379:methods; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods