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New patient: Can pancreatic cancer be treated??

Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Oct 1, 2023 | Replies (15)
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@hotchick35

The doctor indicated the mass was in my pancreas about 4cm not obstruction the head but near the ducts etc so no surgery and little particles to the liver biggest one 1cm. I'm from the Caribbean
The doctor suggest chemo.
Just seeking some advice of what is anyone view that have the similar issue or even worst. What to expect and how do I live. Sigh. I'm just confused

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Replies to "The doctor indicated the mass was in my pancreas about 4cm not obstruction the head but..."
mayoconnectuser1 | @mayoconnectuser1 | Oct 4, 2023

Please attempt to find or relocate to a center of the excellence.

Can you provide the exact terms your doctor used regarding your diagnosis?

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ncteacher | @ncteacher | Oct 4, 2023

More info would be helpful. Did you have a scan (CT or MRI)? I'm assuming so, since a lesion was observed on the liver. If that's correct, then has your case been declared stage 4? What about blood vessel involvement? You mention no surgery, which sounds like the tumor has wrapped around blood vessels, making removal dangerously difficult and thus impossible. Also, what is your CA 19-9 blood test reading?

Is the doctor who gave you this info an oncologist? I wasn't sure. You want to be in the care of an MD who is an oncologist with extensive experience in pancreatic cancer. You mention you're from the Caribbean. Do you still live there? If so, where? That will be key to getting good care; you need to figure out where it is in relation to where you live. There are several centers in Florida, including Miami, listed on the National Pancreatic Foundation site:
https://pancreasfoundation.org/patient-resources/npf-centers-of-excellence/
I couldn't find anything listed in the Caribbean, but this site lists cancer centers in Central and South America. These are not specifically pancreatic cancer centers, so you'd need to check each one:
https://www.health-tourism.com/cancer-treatment/latin-america-5/
I hope some of that helps. If you can provide more info, hopefully we can be more specific.

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