It is hard to stage pancreatic cancer accurately by imaging tests. People with pancreatic cancer may have several treatment options. Depending on the type and stage, pancreatic cancer may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.

Locally advanced cancers of the pancreas are those that have grown too far to be completely removed by surgery, but have not yet reached distant parts of the body.

Surgery may be used alone or in combination with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Doctors may use radiation to destroy cancer cells that remain in the area after surgery. They also use radiation to relieve pain and other problems caused by the cancer. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Doctors also give chemotherapy to help reduce pain and other problems caused by pancreatic cancer.

The Whipple operation is performed for pancreatic cancer that is located in the head of the pancreas. Adenocarcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas is treated with a distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy. When pancreatic exocrine cancer recurs, it is essentially treated the same way as metastatic cancer, and is likely to include chemotherapy if the patient can tolerate it. If the cancer has spread, medications may be used to control symptoms. Surgery or ablative techniques may be used to treat metastases in the liver.