A 31-year-old member asked:
can pancreatic cancer be treated with radiation therapy?
6 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in
Dr. Reza Shirazi answered
Radiation Oncology 20 years experience
Yes: Radiation alone is often used for palliation or local control. Some promising results with radiosurgery. It is rarely cured by radiation therapy alone.
6372 views
Dr. Bahman Daneshfar answered
Radiation Oncology 33 years experience
Yes: Those that have resection still likely need radiation and chemotherapy. Those that are not resectable can also benefit. The outcome may not cause a cure as this cancer is aggressive. Radiation has a major role on treating pancreas cancer non the less.
6090 views
Dr. Andrew Turrisi answered
Radiation Oncology 47 years experience
Pancreas: Yes. The goals depend on what is hoped to be done. Radiotherapy does not cure pancca. It is used to improve chances of resection, prevent recurrence when resected if nodes or margins are positive. It is mostly used to relieve pain when chemotherapy no lnger works.
6084 views
Dr. Shalin Shah answered
Radiation Oncology 19 years experience
Yes: If the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body, radiation is one of the options to treat prostate cancer.
6078 views
Dr. R. Scott Anderson answered
Radiation Oncology 39 years experience
Pancreatic cancer: Radiation is usually a component of the overall treatment of localized pancreatic cancer along with surgery and chemotherapy. If the tumor has spread chemotherapy is usually the primary option. Radiation or radiation and chemotherapy can also be used on unresectable pancreatic cancers if need be.
6078 views
Dr. Carl Van Wey answered
Radiation Oncology 45 years experience
Pancreas cancer: Yes; it is often combined with chemotherapy if the tumor is too large to surgically remove, or it is often given following surgery, if it can be removed (not wrapped around blood vessels, etc.).
6042 views
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Last updated Oct 4, 2016
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