Pain management.
Both pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer patients suffer from severe pain. For the pancreatitis patient, pain is often the stimulus for going to the doctor to receive diagnosis. This pain originates from increased pressure in the pancreatic duct due to the inflammation and scarring associated with pancreatitis and/or inflammation of pancreatic nerves, since this organ is richly supplied with nerves and chronic inflammation in the area may also lead to the release of various substances that stimulate these nerves. In patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer, severe abdominal and back pain is a significant complication due to the spread of the disease to nerves in the surrounding area or pressure on nearby organs.
Lomberk
Gwen
G
Gastroenterology Research Unit, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. lomberk.gwen@mayo.edu
D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications*; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities