Pancreatic Cancer

The most common type of pancreatic cancer is adenocarcinoma, which affects the pancreas’ exocrine function that aids in digestion. The cancer can also grow and spread to other organs near the pancreas (metastasis).

The “Silent Cancer”

Pancreatic cancer is usually detected in its later stage because some of its early symptoms can be non-specific, like unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite.

Other signs and symptoms can include:

Loss of appetite and weight loss
Upper abdominal pain
Pain in the middle or upper back
Jaundice
Dark-coloured urine and light-coloured stool
Diabetes (where the patient did not have it before)
Nausea and vomiting

A person’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases as they age and it is more common among men. Other risk factors include smoking, family history, chronic pancreatitis, and diabetes.

Our experienced pancreatic surgeon will assess your symptoms and perform various tests before arriving at an accurate diagnosis and a detailed treatment plan.

Treatments for Pancreatic Cancer

Treatment for pancreatic cancer depends on whether the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas (metastasis), and at which stage. If the cancer is detected during its early stage, then surgery can be considered.

If the cancer is in the:	Recommended procedure:
HEAD	Whipple procedure Removes the cancerous tumour from the pancreas Prevents it from spreading to other vital organs
TAIL	Distal pancreatectomy & splenectomy Removes the tail and parts of the body from the pancreas The spleen is also removed if needed because it is connected to the tail
HEAD & BODY & TAIL	Total pancreatectomy This procedure is like the Whipple procedure, but the entire pancreas is removed instead.

For patients with advanced stage pancreatic cancer, surgery is usually no longer an option. In this case, palliative treatment may be considered to relieve the patient's symptoms. There are also non-surgical treatment options like radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Dr Victor Lee and Dr Ek Khoon Tan have more than 40 years of experience in treating pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and pancreatic cysts. We believe that dedication, skill, and multidisciplinary care is key to achieving optimal outcomes.

For more information, call us at

6737 8878

Mount Elizabeth Orchard

6475 1488

Gleneagles Hospital

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