An estimated 64,050 new cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed in the US each year. GI Associates of Maryland offers comprehensive pancreatic cancer care to lower your risk for cancer-related complications. The experienced medical team provides advanced imaging, biopsies, and other diagnostic tests on-site to identify cancer in the earliest stages. They also offer nonsurgical and surgical therapies to prevent pancreatic cancer from progressing. Call the Waldorf, Maryland office to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for pancreatic cancer symptoms or book an appointment online today.
Your pancreas is a pear-shaped gland that aids digestion and produces insulin hormones to metabolize sugar from your diet into energy.
Pancreatic cancer occurs when cells in the pancreas mutate and divide abnormally. Cancer cells can also spread outside the gland into your other body parts.
You may be at increased risk for pancreatic cancer as you get older, especially if you’re over age 45. This type of cancer has other risk factors, including:
GI Associates of Maryland offers comprehensive pancreatic cancer care. The experienced physicians provide in-office diagnostic testing and customized care plans to manage the disease in the long term.
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer typically don’t develop until the cancer progresses, meaning that you may benefit from preventive cancer screenings if you are at high risk for the disease.
The GI Associates of Maryland team also recommends that you schedule a diagnostic evaluation if you experience cancer-related symptoms like:
The providers complete a physical exam and can order blood work, an ultrasound, and other diagnostic tests to identify the cause of your symptoms. They also offer liver biopsies to remove a tissue sample for further testing to confirm or rule out pancreatic cancer.
Your treatment plan for pancreatic cancer may include surgery to remove cancerous tissue from your pancreas if the disease hasn’t spread beyond the gland. Surgery to remove the entire pancreas may be necessary to prevent cancer from progressing.
You may also be a candidate for chemotherapy or radiation in place of surgery or after the removal of cancerous tissue. These therapies can shrink existing tumors and relieve any cancer symptoms you experience.
The GI Associates of Maryland team continues to monitor your progress with treatment and can recommend lifestyle changes you can make to prevent the return of cancer. These changes may include smoking cessation resources to help you quit for good and diet and lifestyle modifications that help you achieve a healthy body weight.
Call GI Associates of Maryland to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for symptoms of pancreatic cancer or book an appointment online today.