Jonathan has had severe pain and difficulty after meals for awhile. He went to his physician who, after a series of tests, diagnosed him with pancreatic cancer
a. Explain the disease process.
b. What are the symptoms?
c. Discuss the treatment for this disease process.
d. What are the potential complications?
Students' answers should include the following:
a. Primary lesions and metastatic tumors
Pancreatic duct gets blocked with metastatic cells, causing jaundice.
Diabetes, high-fat diet, and chronic exposure to carcinogenic agents predispose to pancreatic cancer.
b. S/s appear after cancer is advanced.
Mass can be palpated in upper left quadrant.
Jaundice, anorexia and weight loss, light-colored stools, dark urine, and pruritus
Bile passage is usually obstructed.
Poor prognosis
c. Surgical procedure—radical pancreatoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure)
d. Complications include bleeding, malabsorption syndrome, and brittle diabetes.
Most die within 3 to 12 months after symptom onset.
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