Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancerous) cells form in the tissues of the pancreas. The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach and in front of the spine. The pancreas produces digestive juices and hormones that regulate blood sugar. Cells called exocrine pancreas cells produce the digestive juices, while cells called endocrine pancreas cells produce the hormones. The majority of pancreatic cancers start in the exocrine cells.

Pancreatic cancer typically spreads rapidly to nearby organs. It is seldom detected in its early stages. But for people with pancreatic cysts or a family history of pancreatic cancer, some screening steps might help detect a problem early. One sign of pancreatic cancer is diabetes, especially when it occurs with weight loss,jaundice or pain in the upper abdomen that spreads to the back.

The diagnosis of the pancreatic cancer in India is done through certain diagnostic tests that include Contrast Enhanced CT Scan of abdomen, MRCP, blood tests and biopsy. This gives a fair idea to the surgeon about your disease. However surgeon in India may also advise for a PET CT Scan to do the staging of the pancreatic cancer.

Symptoms & Treatments

Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer often don't occur until the disease is advanced. They may include:

Pain in the upper abdomen that radiates to your back
Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss
Depression
New-onset diabetes
Blood clots
Fatigue
Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

Treatment for pancreatic cancer depends on the stage and location of the cancer as well as on your overall health.  If your cancer is located in the head of the pancreas, you may consider an operation called a Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy). The Whipple procedure is technically difficult operation to remove the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine (duodenum), the and part of the

Surgery to remove the left side (body and tail) of the pancreas is called distal pancreatectomy. Your surgeon may also remove your spleen. In some case the entire pancreas have to be removed to prevent the cancer from spreading further.

Best Doctor and Cost

Pancreatic cancer's diagnosis is a bit tricky as it is generally misdiagnosed as as acute or chronic pancreatitis. However if diagnosed in time surgery remains the main line of treatment. The surgery can either be a whipple's surgery or pancreatic head resection or pancreatectomy. The best surgeons for the pancreatic cancer in India are Dr Ankur Garg and Dr Vinay Gaikwad. They are specifically GI, pancreatic and hepatobiliary surgeons who specialize in surgeries of GI and pancreatic cancers. They have one of the best success rates among the feloow doctors and thats why get lot of international patients for cancer surgeries.

Cost of the pancreatic cancer surgery depends upon the stage of the cancer and type of surgery opted for. It is very difficult to give a precise cost for the surgery as it may vary from case to case. However it can approximately range between USD 9000 to USD 15000 with about 10 days stay in hospital and 4 weeks post discharge stay in India.

Our Cancer Hospitals

Cancer treatment requires high quality equipments and care. Hence in India cancer hospitals are majorly tertiary care setups. Some of the best cancer hospitals in India with best in class facilities are located in Delhi/NCR and Mumbai. In Delhi/NCR we have hospitals like Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, India whcih is considered as one of the most advanced hospitals for cancer treatment. Apart from Fortis we have Paras Hospital Gurgaon, India which is a great setup for cancer surgeries. Similarly in Munbai we have Nanavati hospital which offers great cancer treatment facilities all the way from cancer surgery, chemotherapy, liver transplant, bone marrow transplant and even heart and lung transplants.

Technology at our Disposal

Our Hospitals have the latest MRI, CT Scan, Digital X-Ray, Mammography, Ultrasound, Colour Doppler, PET CT Scan, Gamma Camera (Nuclear Medicine Scans), Image Guided Radiation Therapy, Gamma Knife, Cyber Knife, Thoracosopy, Sleep Study, Lung Ultrasound Bronchoscopy EBUS etc which gives us the diagnostic and theraputic confidence for providing the right treatment.

Modular fully equipped Operation Theatres with hepa-filters for zero infection rate and C-Arm backed by a state of art ICU helps us in providing world class treatment to our patients. Similarly in cases of transplant our well equipped isolation rooms ensure a zero infection rate which is very important for transplant patients as they have compromised immunity after the surgery.

Our Cancer Doctors

Our team of doctors include some of the best names from the Indian Medical Fraternity. Dr Ankur Garg - Liver Transplant, Hepato Biliary and Pancreatic Cancer Surgeon, Dr Kaushal Yadav, Dr Abhishek Mitra, Dr Niranjan Naik, Dr Rama Joshi, Dr Sumita Singh, Dr Priyanjana Sharma, Dr Shilpi Sharma Dr Rajiv Yadav, Dr Vikram Singh- All Cancer Surgeons, Dr Pradeep Bansal and Dr Dipanshu Gupta - Urologist and Kidney Transplant Surgeons, Dr Rahul Bhargava and Dr Dharma Choudhary - Bone Marrow Transplant Specialists, Dr Vinod Raina, Dr Suresh Advani - Medical Oncologists, Dr Sandeep Attawar and Dr Hemant Pathare - Heart & Lung Transplant Surgeons, Dr J S Virk- Orthopaedic Cancer Surgeon, Dr Amal Roay Chaudhoory and Dr Subodh Pande Radiation Oncologists.

Artemis Hospital

Metro Hospital, Faridabad

Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon

Nigerian Patient's Experience

Nigerian Patient shares her experience during her treatment in India. Her treatment was absolutely scientifically planned from the time she got in touch with us till the time she departed.

International Patients Share Experiences

In this video you would see the patients from several countries sharing their experiences about treatment in Indian Hospitals for all kinds of conditions. Watch the video to know what to expect when you come to India.

Cancer Treatment in India

Dr James a renowned surgeon & owner of 40 bedded hospital in Nigeria, came to India along with his wife to get Radiation Therapy for his Prostate Cancer. Dr James is sharing his experience in India.