Pancreatic Cyst 1.2 cm - what next?

Hi,

Have you had a biopsy of the lesion/cyst? I was under the impression that they need to do a biopsy to make a positive diagnosis of the type of tumor. I would ask to find out if they should do a biopsy before starting any treatments or surgery. They may opt for chemo first, then surgery later, to make sure that there aren't any malignant cells traveling to other parts of the body to cause this to spread before they remove the cyst. The gastroenterologist is likely to refer you to an oncologist. Check with PanCan.org to see if they have information about oncologists who specialize in pancreatic tumors... (pancreatic cancer action network... they have been very helpful in providing information for my husband's cancer decisions about doctors.)

IPMNs can become malignant, so your doctor may suggest surgery. If so, the Whipple surgery is most common but it removes the lower part of the stomach in addition to the head of the pancreas and the duodenum. You might want to ask about a Partial Whipple surgery, which isn't as common but it preserves the lower part of the stomach and isn't as difficult to recover from. Check for surgeons in your area who do this procedure... contact PanCan.org and ask for all of the surgeons that do Whipple and Partial Whipple procedures in your area and, if possible, go with the surgeon who performs the highest number of surgeries per year (they have the most practice and are likely to have the best outcomes.) PanCan.org helped us find the best surgeon in our area and then he worked with the oncologist we were able to get in with right away through our local healthcare system and cancer clinic. We chose not to go with a teaching institution for the surgery because we wanted to be sure that the surgeon performed the surgery and not a medical student who hasn't has as much practice.

My husband had to have 2 biopsies before they could make a positive identification of the type of tumor and it was adenocarcinoma. The first biopsy suggested an IPMN but that was incorrect. We opted to have genetic testing done so they could get better information about what types of treatments would work best in his case. He is going on 3 years since his diagnosis and is receiving treatments that are not approved for pancreatic cancer but they show promise and he has exhausted all of the approved treatments. Our next step may be clinical trials.

I hope that your cyst is not malignant and they can treat you with non-invasive methods that will give you peace of mind and a long healthy life. Best wishes!