Early stage pancreatic cancer can be treated by a ‘Whipple’ operation (first described by an Italian, Allesandro Codivilla in 1898, popularised in Europe by Dr Walther Kausch from Germany in 1909, but has become associated with Dr Alan Whipple from New York in the 1930’s) also known as ‘pancreatoduodenectomy’.
This is a major operation which should only be carried out by a specialist surgeon, so you may have to travel to a specialist unit.
We have included a brief animation which illustrates the Whipple Procedure:
The operation normally lasts for 4-7 hours. The surgeon aims to completely remove the cancer, and give you the best chance of cure.
The head of the pancreas, a portion of the bile duct, the gallbladder and the duodenum are removed, along with part of the stomach.
After their removal, the remaining pancreas, bile duct and stomach are joined up to the intestine. This allows the pancreatic juice, bile and food to flow into the gut, so that digestion can proceed normally.
The surrounding lymph nodes may also be removed to reduce the risk of the cancer spreading or coming back. The chance of the cancer recurring depends on the type of tumour you have. This will only be confirmed after your operation, when the pathologist examines the removed pancreas.
A distal pancreatectomy is usually performed when a patient has a tumour in the body or tail of the pancreas. This procedure involves having the tail and body of your pancreas removed. Your surgeon will normally remove your spleen at the same time.
As with the Whipple procedure, a distal pancreatectomy is a long and complex operation, which will not be done unless your doctor thinks it is necessary.
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