# A way to prevent pancreatic cancer from spreading post-surgery?



## Northerner (May 17, 2018)

Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have solved a mystery about how pancreatic cancer spreads following surgery in patients whose tumor is successfully removed. After surgery, patients' typically experience a two-week period during which their immune system is depleted as a result of a surge in post-operative stress hormone (cortisol) levels. With killer T-cell levels sagging, isolated, dormant cancer cells that have already traveled to the liver and possibly other organs via the bloodstream begin to grow or metastasize.

This post-operative period, suggests CSHL Professor Douglas Fearon, "offers a window during which efforts might be made to keep cortisol levels down and T cells strong so the patient's own immune system can kill the cancer cells that have made their way to other parts of the body but until this point have been dormant."

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-05-pancreatic-cancer-post-surgery.html


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## HOBIE (May 17, 2018)

Sounds good & in the right direction


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## Amigo (May 17, 2018)

It describes how they’ve solved the mystery of why this happens but there’s no mention of how they intend to depress the production of the cortisol that interferes with T cell production. The worry is that even prior to the pancreatic surgery, there’s already been metastic activity that the immune system has been unable to prevent developing in the liver.


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## trophywench (May 17, 2018)

It also begs the question about other cancers to me.  If pancreatic cancer cells pass through the liver on a day to day basis - do other cancers do it?  I'd think so - most people I've known with metastatic cancer have had the original in various bits of them - prostate, breast, bladder, bowel ....... but it always lands up in the liver as well as other parts (eg bones and lungs)

In which case anyway, yeah, I'm more interested in what they can do pre and post surgery or other treatment to build up the immune system.


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## eggyg (May 30, 2018)

My mum had breast cancer which spread into her bladder and ultimately into her bones, this is nearly 30 years ago.  She died aged 52. When I had my pancreatic tumour removed they also removed my healthy spleen as they told me if my tumour was malignant the cancer could spread right through my body via the spleen. I don’t know if I remember that correctly but that was the gist, I wasn’t told about cortisol or the T cells. Surely with removing my spleen my immune system was compromised straight away?   Luckily the tumour was pre cancerous although 10 years down the line I still worry at times I have cancerous cells lingering somewhere. Every time I hear of someone who has died from pancreatic cancer I get a real pang of dread. Hopefully this is going in the right direction, albeit slowly.


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## mikeyB (May 31, 2018)

Don’t worry, Eggy. If you were going to die of pancreatic cancer, you’d have done it by now, and this communication would be conducted through a medium. Don’t think you’ll be joining the celestial choir any time soon


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## eggyg (May 31, 2018)

mikeyB said:


> Don’t worry, Eggy. If you were going to die of pancreatic cancer, you’d have done it by now, and this communication would be conducted through a medium. Don’t think you’ll be joining the celestial choir any time soon


Thanks Mike, I know 10 years  down the line I am fairly safe but still.....anyways I can’t sing don’t think I will be joining ANY choir anytime soon!


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