Dr. Carlo Contreras, a surgical oncologist with the department of surgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, said in the past, pancreatic cancer has been a difficult diagnosis with limited effective treatment options. Today it is different.
“Twenty years ago, patients who developed pancreatic cancer really didn’t have much hope,” Dr. Contreras said. “Today, each patient will have a cohesive team of doctors, each of whom will provide unique, complementary treatments for pancreatic cancer. Treatment involves a close partnership with the patient and a team of doctors that weigh the roles of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.”
Dr. Contreras, who specializes in liver and pancreatic cancer, is affiliated with the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute and sees patients there. He also treats patients with a variety of skin and gastrointestinal cancers including stomach tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, melanoma and sarcoma.
Approximately 43,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the United States alone. Because pancreatic cancer is one of the more difficult types of cancers to detect and treat, Dr. Contreras said it is important to be aware of the warning signs and symptoms.
The pancreas, a soft gland that sits at the back of the abdominal cavity, produces a variety of substances that help digest food and control metabolism. The warning signs of pancreatic cancer can either be quite dramatic or very subtle, depending on where the cancer starts growing within the pancreas.
“If the cancer starts growing within the right side of the gland, than the symptoms can be rather dramatic because it can block the bile duct – a tube-like structure that is important for food digestion,” he said. “When the bile duct is blocked, the patient will develop jaundice, or a yellowing of the eyes and skin.”
Dr. Contreras said symptoms are much more subtle for cancer that starts growing in other areas of the pancreas. “The patient might have vague upper abdominal pain that radiates to the back, unusual itching of the skin, or gradual loss of appetite with weight loss,” Dr. Contreras said. “Sometimes a patient will suddenly develop diabetes, or a patient who has had well-controlled diabetes for years will suddenly have high blood sugars.”
If a patient experiences any of these symptoms, Dr. Contreras said it is important to visit a doctor. At the appointment, a doctor will perform a complete physical examination and if needed, perform a CT scan or MRI scan.
“The specific kind of treatment that a patient needs depends on what symptoms the patient is having, the size and location of the pancreatic cancer and whether it has spread beyond the pancreas,” he said. “Pancreatic cancer is a trying experience, but therapies are improving every day, which ultimately means better outcomes for patients.”
“Being diagnosed with any type of cancer is incredibly difficult,” Dr. Contreras said, “but faith, a supportive family network and a specialized team of doctors can help restore hope, dignity, peace of mind, and quality of life.”
To make an appointment with Dr. Contreras, call (251) 665-8000.
