Stage I Pancreatic Cancer

Treatment of stage I pancreatic cancer may include the following:

• Surgery alone.
• Surgery with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is given before, during, and after the radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemotherapy.

This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage I pancreatic cancer.

Stage IIA Pancreatic Cancer

Treatment of stage IIA pancreatic cancer may include the following:

• Surgery with or without chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy with chemotherapy.
• Palliative surgery to bypass blocked areas in ducts or the small intestine.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is given before, during, and after the radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of biologic therapy with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy and/or radiosensitizers (drugs that make cancer cells more sensitive to radiation so more tumor cells are killed), followed by surgery.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy given during surgery or internal radiation therapy.

This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage II pancreatic cancer.

Stage IIB Pancreatic Cancer

Treatment of stage IIB pancreatic cancer may include the following:

• Surgery with or without chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy with chemotherapy.
• Palliative surgery to bypass blocked areas in ducts or the small intestine.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is given before, during, and after the radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of biologic therapy with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy and/or radiosensitizers, followed by surgery.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy given during surgery or internal radiation therapy.

This summary section refers to specific treatments under study in clinical trials, but it may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage II pancreatic cancer.

Stage III Pancreatic Cancer

Treatment of stage III pancreatic cancer may include the following:

• Surgery with or without chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy with chemotherapy.
• Palliative surgery or stent placement to bypass blocked areas in ducts or the small intestine.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is given before, during, and after the radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of surgery followed by chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of biologic therapy with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy and/or radiosensitizers, which may be followed by surgery.
• A clinical trial of radiation therapy given during surgery or internal radiation therapy.