Surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer is essential for long-term survival. Nevertheless, surgery removes only the primary tumor, not affecting metastases in the distant organs. According to the results of new clinical trials, multiple-purpose chemotherapy gives chance to prevent the postoperative spreading of atypical cells through the organism. In addition, combined neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy regimens also extend the overall survival significantly.

How do pancreatic tumors reveal themselves?

Pancreatic cancer is called a “silent” disease, as the symptoms rarely appear at its early stages. Spreading beyond the pancreas, tumor causes a number of inconveniences:

  • Yellow color of skin and eyes (jaundice).
  • Dark urine along with light colored stools.
  • Skin itching.
  • Abdominal and back pain.
  • Nausea and vomiting without obvious reasons.
  • Satiation with small amount of food.
  • Swelling in the abdomen.

Having one or few of these signs it is better to visit your general practitioner. Subsequent comprehensive examination facilitates informed choice among plenty of efficient treatment methods in Germany.

Integrative approach to the therapy and symptoms management

Pancreatic cancer treatment in Germany includes a number of options, as German clinics have the access to all approved medications and interventions:

  1. Surgical treatment includes resection or removing of the pancreas. Only about 20% of patients will benefit from surgery, these are patients without metastases or affection of the lymph nodes.
  2. Chemotherapy includes administration of medications that damage or kill malignant cells. According to the recent research results, chemotherapy may be the first-line treatment option in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic tumors. For instance, administration of oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) in combination with 5-fluorouracil (Adrucil), irinotecan (Camptosar) and leucovorin (folinic acid) provided patients with additional 19 months of average overall survival.
  3. Radiation therapy in Germany includes the external proton and conventional radiotherapy. It may be combined with administration of the chemotherapy drugs, as both treatments enhance each other. Another available method is the stereotactic radiation, or Cyberknife. Cyberknife acts somewhat alike to the surgery, except for the absence of skin incision and the healthy tissues damage. Beams are directed by Cyberknife and focused on the tumor.
  4. Targeted drugs recognize specific molecules that are involved in the tumor growth, progression, and spreading. Destroying or blocking these molecules causes cytostatics effect. Targeted therapy at advanced cancer stages is typically applied in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy, radiation.

Treatment in Germany provides an opportunity to participate in clinical trials. Nevertheless, selection criteria are always strict, as investigators choose patients of certain age, with specific histological type of tumor, stage of the disease, etc.

Choosing the clinic abroad with Booking Health

You may choose not to receive therapy in your native country for a number of reasons. For those seeking medical care abroad who do not have relevant international experience, it is advisable to use services of Booking Health. Booking Health is the unique international medical tourism operator that assists patients from 75 countries in undergoing high-quality treatment abroad. Booking Health takes care about:

  • Choosing the best oncological center and physician for your case.
  • Booking an appointment without lengthy waiting lists for foreigners.
  • Easy visa issuing and preparing documents for the trip.
  • Translating previous medical reports into German in order to minimize repeating examinations.
  • Additional monitoring of all program stages by independent medical experts.
  • Further communication with physician the after discharging from the hospital.
  • Control of financial documents, avoiding additional fees for the foreigners (saving up to 50%).
  • Booking tickets and accommodation, transfer, services of interpreter.

Working with Booking Health, you may staying confident and concentrate at your health restoring. All organizational issues are on us, as well as comprehensive support 24/7.