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Written by Tony Subia
October 2020
NEE. This is a common question because most people know that kidney and liver transplants, as well as other organ transplants, are common. So why not the pancreas? Although pancreas transplants are sometimes performed in patients with type 1 diabetes,Patients with pancreatic cancer are not eligible for a pancreas transplant.
A pancreas transplant would not cure the cancer for several reasons. Pancreatic cancer has very vague symptoms, or none at all. By the time the cancer is discovered, it has usually already spread to surrounding tissues or spread to distant organs, invading parts of the body through the blood or lymphatic system. Actually. only about 11% of cases are diagnosed while the cancer is still entirely within the pancreas.
Even though a pancreas transplant was an optionpancreatic cancer,the patient had to take anti-rejection drugs, which would suppress the patient's immune system. When the immune system is weakened, cancer cells are likely to grow and spread more quickly.
If the cancerous tumor is still in the pancreas when diagnosed and it has not spread, only the part of the pancreas that contains the cancerous tumor is removed. When the tumor is located in the head of the pancreas, this is usually necessaryWhipple kirurgiIn the whipple procedure, the surgeon removes the head of the pancreas, the gallbladder, the duodenum (this is the first part of the small intestine), part of the stomach and surrounding lymph nodes.
Once the components that make digestion possible have been removed, the surgeon reconnects the digestive system. The Whipple procedure is a complex surgery that typically takes 5 to 7 hours and usually requires a hospital stay of about 8 to 10 days.
Pancreas transplants are only considered in chronic cases of type 1 diabetes
A pancreas transplant is an option for patients with chronic type 1 diabetes who are vulnerable to other serious complications, including kidney disease and kidney failure.If it is determined that a kidney transplant is a necessary option, the existing pancreas is left in place. The new transplanted pancreas is attached to blood vessels at an adjacent location.
This is because the pancreas has two functions. Not only does it produce hormones, including insulin, that regulate blood sugar levels, it also produces enzymes essential for digestion. If the newly transplanted pancreas is rejected by the recipient or does not function properly after the transplant, digestive enzymes and insulin may be produced in minimal amounts by the original pancreas that remains in place.
The people with type 1 diabetes who may be candidates for a pancreas implant are screened very carefully beforehand to ensure that they do not have any form of active cancer anywhere in their body. They must be cancer-free for at least two years or more before the patient is eligible for a pancreas transplant.But people with pancreatic cancer are never eligible for a pancreas transplant.
Summary of why pancreatic cancer patients are not eligible for pancreas transplants
A transplant is unlikely to cure the cancer
One of the biggest obstacles to fighting pancreatic cancer is the fact that it often goes undiagnosed for quite some time. In most cases, the cancer has already spread beyond the pancreas before the patient's diagnosis, at which point a transplant would prove worthless. Only about 11% of pancreatic cases are diagnosed while the cancer is still confined to the pancreas. Although doctors detect a cancer patient's pancreatic tumor before it has spread beyond the pancreas, standard treatment involves removing only the affected part of the organ and not the entire pancreas.
A transplant would suppress the immune system
Although patients with pancreatic cancer are not eligible for a pancreas transplant, if patients were eligible, they would need to take anti-rejection medications. This would suppress the immune system, causing the cancer to spread and grow faster. otherwise.
A transplant is likely to cause other harmful side effects
Even if a pancreatic cancer patient's body does not reject a newly transplanted pancreas, the risk of side effects and complications is high. Pancreas transplant recipients are at risk for blood clots, infections, hyperglycemia, and urinary tract complications, among other things.
The information on this website is intended for educational advice only. Always consult your own experts and doctors for any medical problem. We only provide information as a warning so that readers can be aware of the symptoms. In this case, all content is for informational purposes only regarding whether pancreatic implants are being considered for patients with pancreatic cancer.
