Treatment Options for Pancreatic Cancer

While surgery for pancreatic cancer can potentially remove the cancer from the body, many people with pancreatic cancer aren’t eligible for surgery. Other treatments for this type of cancer include chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.

Pancreatic cancer starts in the pancreas, which makes enzymes important for digestion as well as hormones that regulate blood sugar levels. About 64,050 people in the United States will receive a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2023.

There are a variety of treatments that may be used for pancreatic cancer. The type of treatment that’s recommended will depend on many factors, such as the stage of the cancer, your age, and your overall health.

In this article, we take a look at the primary types of treatment used for pancreatic cancer.

Questions for your doctor about pancreatic cancer treatment

Receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can be overwhelming. Many different questions may come to mind. Below are some examples of questions to ask your doctor about your pancreatic cancer treatment:

• Is my cancer resectable? If not, why?
• What are the treatment choices that are available to me?
• What treatment are you recommending and why?
• What are the benefits and risks of this type of treatment?
• How will this treatment affect my outlook?
• When will I need to start my treatment?
• Where will I get my treatment?
• How often will I receive treatment and how long will each session take?
• What are the potential side effects of this treatment? What can I do to help prevent or manage them?
• In what ways may this treatment impact my daily activities? Will I be able to work while receiving treatment?
• Will my health insurance cover my treatment? If not, what can I do?
• What are the next steps if the recommended treatment isn’t effective?

It may be helpful to bring a list of questions with you when you meet with your healthcare team. Be sure to take notes during your appointment so that you can refer to them later.

If your health insurer denies your claim or treatment, you have very little time to act. Appeals to Medicare must be filed within 90 days in the most lenient states, with even shorter deadlines in some states, and many insurers and healthcare providers will turn over unpaid medical bills to collection agencies after just 60 days, the AARP