Can pancreatic cancer be detected by a CT scan?

Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
Updated on December 26, 2024
00:00
00:00

Pancreatic cancer can be detected by CT, which shows both direct and indirect signs. The direct signs of pancreatic cancer are manifested as pancreatic masses, which are mostly lobulated. On plain scans, the tumor appears isodense or slightly hypodense compared to the pancreatic parenchyma. When the tumor is large, it appears as a local protrusion, mostly located within the pancreas. In the early phase after enhancement, the tumor enhances less than the surrounding normal pancreatic tissue because pancreatic cancer is a hypovascular tumor. Indirect signs are mainly secondary changes caused by pancreatic cancer, mainly affecting the common bile duct and the main pancreatic duct, which can lead to pancreatic duct dilation, characterized by the typical double duct sign.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
36sec home-news-image

Is a pancreatic tumor the same as pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic tumors include benign and malignant tumors of the pancreas. Common benign pancreatic tumors include insulinomas, which can cause hypoglycemia due to excessive insulin secretion. Other benign tumors of the pancreas include adenomas, lipomas, and fibromas, which are relatively rare clinically. Malignant tumors of the pancreas are commonly referred to as pancreatic cancer, which has a high degree of malignancy. Early-stage pancreatic cancer patients are primarily treated with surgery.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
34sec home-news-image

Late-stage symptoms of pancreatic cancer

Late symptoms of pancreatic cancer include abdominal pain, or sore and swollen back pain, as well as nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, indigestion, and discomfort of upper abdominal fullness. These are some symptoms affecting the digestive tract. Additionally, there is jaundice caused by tumor compression of the bile duct, as well as skin itching, and even fever. Some patients show clinical manifestations such as ascites when there is metastasis to the liver, or abdominal or retroperitoneal lymph nodes.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Chen
Oncology
1min 10sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

The clinical manifestations of pancreatic cancer mainly depend on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, whether there is metastasis, and the involvement of adjacent organs. The clinical characteristics include a short disease course, rapid progression, and swift deterioration. The most common symptom is upper abdominal distension and discomfort, pain, though not all patients experience tenderness; if tenderness is present, it aligns with the area of pain felt. Pain is a primary symptom of pancreatic cancer, present whether the cancer is located in the head or the body/tail of the pancreas. Jaundice is a main symptom of cancer in the head of the pancreas, and patients often exhibit more severe gastrointestinal symptoms, most commonly loss of appetite, followed by nausea and vomiting. There might also be diarrhea or constipation, even melena. Diarrhea is often steatorrhea. In the early stages of pancreatic cancer, common symptoms include weight loss and fatigue.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
56sec home-news-image

Can late-stage pancreatic cancer cause vomiting blood?

For patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, there is a possibility of vomiting blood. Vomiting blood is one of the manifestations of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. In some cases, patients with pancreatic cancer may experience upper gastrointestinal bleeding: 1. Stress ulcers, in patients with advanced tumors, sometimes occur due to extreme physical debilitation, leading to stress ulcers. These ulcers cause localized erosion of the gastric mucosa, eventually leading to bleeding; 2. Thrombocytopenia, for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, most need to undergo systemic chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can suppress the function of the bone marrow, leading to a reduction in peripheral white blood cells and platelets. When platelets decrease to a certain level, the body's clotting functions may be impaired, concurrently leading to upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
47sec home-news-image

What should be done if pancreatic cancer has not metastasized?

If pancreatic cancer has not metastasized, then it might be in an early stage. In this situation, consultation with a hepatobiliary surgeon is necessary for the surgeon to assess whether curative surgery can be performed. If the surgeon determines that curative surgery is feasible, this should be the preferred treatment method. Post-operatively, based on whether there are symptoms of recurrence or metastasis, such as vascular tumor thrombi or lymph node metastases, decisions concerning the necessity for adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy should be made based on these high-risk factors for recurrence and metastasis.