Ampullary cancer- Diagnosis and Treatment

Ampullary (AM-poo-la-ree) cancer is a rare cancer that forms in an area of your digestive system called the ampulla of Vater. The ampulla of Vater is located where your bile duct and pancreatic duct join and empty into your small intestine.

Ampullary cancer forms near many other parts of the digestive system, such as the liver, pancreas and small intestine. When ampullary cancer grows, it may affect these other organs. Ampullary cancer treatment often involves extensive surgery to remove the cancer and a large margin of healthy tissue.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of ampullary cancer may include:

• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Clay-colored stools
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Bleeding from the rectum
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss

Causes

It's not clear what causes ampullary cancer.

In general, cancer starts when cells develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell the cell what to do. The changes tell the cell to begin multiplying uncontrollably and to continue living when normal cells would die. The accumulating cells form a tumor that can invade and destroy normal body tissue.

Risk factors

• Your age
• Being male.
• Inherited syndromes that increase cancer risk

Diagnosis

Tests and procedures used to diagnose ampullary cancer include:

• Passing a thin, flexible scope down your throat (endoscopy)
• Imaging tests. 
• Testing cancer cells in the laboratory. 

Treatment

Ampullary cancer treatment options may include:

• Surgery to remove the pancreas and small intestine. The Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) involves removing the head of your pancreas as well as a portion of your small intestine (duodenum), your gallbladder and part of your bile duct.

The Whipple procedure can be done using a large incision in your abdomen, or as a minimally invasive surgery, which uses several small incisions.

• Minimally invasive surgery. For very small ampullary cancers and precancerous tumors, it may be possible to remove the cancer with tools passed through an endoscope (endoscopic surgery). This may be an option in certain situations.
• Combined chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses beams of energy, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells. Used together, these treatments may be more effective for ampullary cancers.

Combined chemotherapy and radiation may be used before surgery, to make it more likely that a cancer can be removed completely during an operation. The combined treatment can also be used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might remain.

• Chemotherapy alone. Chemotherapy is sometimes used after surgery to kill cancer cells that might remain. In people with advanced ampullary cancer, chemotherapy may be used alone to slow the growth of the cancer.
• Treatment to reduce pain and discomfort. If other treatments aren't possible or aren't helping, your doctor may recommend treatments that focus on making you feel more comfortable. This can include surgery to place a small wire mesh tube (stent) in your bile ducts to drain fluid that causes your skin and eyes to yellow.

Journal of Cancer Research and Immuno-Oncology is an open access rapid peer reviewed journal in the field of cancer research. Journal announces papers for the upcoming issue. Interested can submit their manuscript through online portal.

Submit manuscript at https://www.longdom.org/submissions/cancer-research-immuno-oncology.html or send as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at cancerresearch@clinicalres.org

Media contact:

Maegan Smith

Managing Editor

Journal of Cancer Research and Immuno-Oncology

Mail ID: cancerresearch@clinicalres.org

WhatsApp:  +1-504-608-2390