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Chemo-Radiation Therapy Case

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here are a few treatment options for Gene’s situation, but the first option we suggested (which is one of the standard methods) would be to surgically remove the pancreas and follow it with chemo-radiation therapy, also known as adjuvant therapy. Although there are a few surgical options, the best case for Gene would be to undergo a whipple procedure. According to Radiology Assistant, “patients with a pancreatic head tumor, typically dilatation of the common bile duct and pancreatic duct (double duct sign) is seen, which is very suggestive for a mass in the pancreatic head, even in the absence of a visible mass” (Karlson, 1999). This is exactly what was found in Genes MRI; therefore we concluded that the whipple, which involves the removal of the head of the pancreas, would be necessary. This procedure allows some of the pancreas to be salvaged, that way he is still able to produce a small amount of digestive juices and insulin. Even though we are not removing the entire pancreas, Gene might still have problems digesting and absorbing nutrients, so it is best if he takes medicine that might replace his pancreatic enzymes. He will need an enzyme supplement that contains …show more content…

This has to be done prior to doing any chemo-radiation therapy and will use Gene’s own immune system to fight the cancer (you would want his immune system to be as strong as possible for it to have a high success rate). According to the National Cancer Institute, “substances made by the body or in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy” (Pancreatic Cancer Treatments, 2015). These trials are done to find new ways to deal with cancer and are offered as an alternative to the standard method (the surgical procedure mentioned

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