Various types of treatment can be used for pancreatic cancer. Which may work best for you? It depends on a number of factors. These include the size, location, and stage of your cancer. Factors also include your age, your overall health, and what side effects you'll find acceptable.

You may have questions and concerns about your treatment choices. You may also want to know how you'll feel and function after treatment and if you'll have to change your normal activities.

Your doctor is the best person to answer your questions. They can tell you what your treatment choices are, how successful they're expected to be, and what the risks and side effects are. Your doctor may suggest a specific treatment. Or they may offer more than one and work with you to decide which treatment options may be best for you. It can be hard to make this decision. It's important to take the time you need to make the best decision for you.

Deciding on the best plan may take some time. Talk with your doctor about how much time you can take to explore your choices. You may want to get another opinion before deciding on your treatment plan. You also may want to include your family and friends in this process.

For some pancreatic cancers, the goal of treatment is to cure the cancer. If cure isn't possible, treatment may be used to shrink the cancer or keep it under control for as long as possible. Treatment can also improve your quality of life by helping to control the symptoms of the disease. The goals of treatment can be one or more of these things:

• Remove or destroy the cancer in your pancreas.
• Remove or destroy tumors in other parts of your body.
• Stop or slow the growth or spread of pancreatic cancer cells.
• Prevent or delay the cancer from coming back.
• Ease symptoms caused by the cancer. Symptoms can include pain or pressure on your organs.

Many types of treatment can be used for pancreatic cancer. Different combinations of treatment may be used. These depend on a number of factors, such as:

• The size of the cancer and where it is.
• The stage (extent) of the cancer.
• Your age and overall health.
• Your personal concerns and preferences.

This is often the preferred treatment for early stage pancreatic cancer, if it can be done. This is because it may cure the cancer. But in most cases, pancreatic cancer has spread too far to be removed completely. If the cancer can't be removed, your doctor might still suggest surgery to help ease symptoms.

This treatment is often used with chemotherapy (chemo), either before or after surgery. Radiation and chemo before surgery can help shrink a tumor and make it easier to take out. After surgery, radiation and chemo can be used to try to kill any cancer cells that are left. Radiation may also be used as part of the main treatment for people who can't have surgery. Or it may be used to help ease symptoms for people with advanced cancer.

Chemo uses strong medicines to kill cancer cells. For pancreatic cancer, chemo may be used before or after surgery (often with radiation). Or it may be the main treatment for people who can't have surgery.

These medicines target specific parts of cancer cells that help the cancer grow and spread. Targeted therapy medicines work differently than standard chemo medicines, and they have different side effects. They may be used along with chemo in some cases.

These medicines help your immune system find and kill cancer cells. These medicines may be used if pancreatic cancer comes back, can't be treated with surgery, or has spread. Immunotherapy has not been shown to be beneficial in pancreatic cancer unless you have a very rare subtype that may respond to immunotherapy.

Your doctor may suggest treatments that help ease your symptoms but don't treat the cancer. For example, you may need treatment to help with nausea or pain. These treatments can be used along with other treatments. Your doctor may suggest that you get only supportive care if they believe that the available cancer treatments are more likely to do more harm than good.

Researchers are always looking for new and better ways to treat pancreatic cancer. These new methods are tested in clinical trials, which are a type of research study. Talk with your doctor to find out if there are any clinical trials you might want to consider.

At first, thinking about treatment choices may seem overwhelming. Talk with your health care team and loved ones. Make a list of questions. Consider the benefits and possible side effects of each choice. Talk with your doctor about your concerns before making a decision.