Pancreatic cancer - what does this mean?

My mom got her results from her CT scan. She has pancreatic cancer and had 5 weeks of radiation and chemo pill. They said the tumor in her pancreas shrunk by 50%, but now there is a small mass in her liver. I know it's good that the tumor shrunk, and that there's not a large mass in her liver, but I feel like it's not so good that it spread to her liver.

What does this all mean?
Thanks.

It means you've made progress, but it's spreading - and that's REALLY bad - it'll be hard to get rid of it completely. Luckily there's this:
CANCER: There's a new Swedish study which shows that human breast milk kills cancer. On the news this guy who drank human breast milk (with a prescription) beat cancer. It was discovered by Swedish scientists that human breast milk (spilled into a petri dish) kills cancer. People who drink it have had some success in fighting off cancer.

You need a prescription and it's about $3 an ounce at a breast milk bank, but it works.

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/2006...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/418769...

That's not good at all sweetie. I'm praying for your mom.

The pancreas is a spongy, tube-shaped organ about 6 inches long. It is located in the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen. It is connected to the duodenum, the upper end of the small intestine. The narrow end of the pancreas, called the tail, extends to the left side of the body.

The pancreas makes pancreatic juices and hormones, including insulin. Pancreatic juices, also called enzymes, help digest food in the small intestine. Insulin controls the amount of sugar in the blood. Both enzymes and hormones are needed to keep the body working right.

As pancreatic juices are made, they flow into the main pancreatic duct. This duct joins the common bile duct, which connects the pancreas to the liver and the gallbladder. The common bile duct, which carries bile (a fluid that helps digest fat), connects to the small intestine near the stomach.


What is cancer?

Cancer is a group of diseases. More than 100 different types of cancer are known, and several types of cancer can develop in the pancreas. They all have one thing in common: abnormal cells grow and destroy body tissue.

Healthy cells that make up the body's tissues grow, divide, and replace themselves in an orderly way. This process keeps the body in good repair. Sometimes, however, some cells lose the ability to control their growth. They grow too rapidly and without any order. Too much tissue is made, and tumors are formed. Tumors can be benign or malignant.

Benign tumors are not cancer. They do not spread to other parts of the body and are seldom a threat to life. Often, benign tumors can be removed by surgery, and they are not likely to return.

Malignant tumors are cancer. They can invade and destroy nearby healthy tissues and organs. Cancer cells also can break away from the tumor and spread to other parts of the body. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Cancer that starts in the pancreas is called pancreatic cancer. When pancreatic cancer spreads, it usually travels through the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system includes a network of thin tubes that branch, like blood vessels, into tissues all over the body. Cancer cells are carried through these vessels by lymph, a colorless, watery fluid that carries cells that fight infection. Along the network of lymphatic vessels are groups of small, bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes. Surgeons often remove lymph nodes near the pancreas to learn whether they contain cancer cells.

Cancer cells can also be carried through the bloodstream to the liver, lungs, bone, or other organs. Pancreatic cancer that spreads to other organs is called metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer has been called a "silent" disease because early pancreatic cancer usually does not cause symptoms. If the tumor blocks the common bile duct and bile cannot pass into the digestive system, the skin and whites of the eyes may become yellow, and the urine may become darker. This condition is called jaundice.

As the cancer grows and spreads, pain often develops in the upper abdomen and sometimes spreads to the back. The pain may become worse after the person eats or lies down. Cancer of the pancreas can also cause nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and weakness.

A rare type of pancreatic cancer, called islet cell cancer, begins in the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin and other hormones. Islet cells are also called the islets of Langerhans. Islet cell cancer can cause the pancreas to produce too much insulin or hormones. When this happens, the patient may feel weak or dizzy and may have chills, muscle spasms, or diarrhea.

These symptoms may be caused by cancer or by other, less serious problems. If an individual is experiencing symptoms, a doctor should be consulted

You might want to check out some spirutual info about this disease on fhu.com.

Pancreatic cancer is one of those tricky little devils that can easily spread to the liver since it's right there. A lot of times it isn't even detected until it either messes up the body's insulin production or the tumor blocks the common bile duct & the patient exhibits signs of jaundice. The doctor may decide that the best course of action is surgery. You could ask your mom if you could go with her to her next doctor's appointment. That way you might be able to get some of your questions better answered by him/her.

This is very common with any type of cancer for it to spread. It sounds like your mom has a doctor that is on top of her treatment and that is so important. Try to calm down and be a very strong support person for your mom. God Bless and I hope that every thing turns out fine for your mom. Have faith in her treatment and question her doctor so that he or she can put your mind at rest.

I totally understand where you are coming from...the sad truth there is no good with pancreatic cancer. My dad was diagnosed 03/07 with mets to the liver and given 3 - 6 months...he is still here fighting. It will not be easy for me or you but whether it is 5 months or 5 years you have to try to stay positive. i know it is so hard. one of the first places it goes to is the liver because they are so close, remember the small mass can stay small for a long time, that is what you have to hope and pray for. i am looking for the same types of answers. everytime something happens, i worry like crazy. i really am trying to accept it all but facing it is hard. all you can do is be there for your mom for however long she has..,miracles happen you should check out the john hopkins discussion board there are tons and tons of survivors there and i get alot of info from them http://pathology.jhu.edu/pancreas/
i hope the shrinkage means something great for you and your mom. my thought are with you. if i can help with anything else just respond