You may be able to have surgery to remove pancreatic cancer if:
Cancer that is contained in the pancreas is stage 1 pancreatic cancer or stage 2 cancer. This is early, localised pancreatic cancer. It is also called operable or resectable cancer because surgery to remove the cancer may be possible. You may also have chemotherapy after the surgery to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back.
Surgery to remove pancreatic cancer is a major operation. You will also need tests to check you are fit and well enough to have surgery.
"I healed well and experienced no post-surgery complications. After 12 weeks, I was back playing golf. I believe being in good shape before the operation made a huge difference in my recovery."
Sometimes the cancer may grow very close to major blood vessels near the pancreas. You may be able to have surgery, but this depends on which blood vessels are affected by the cancer, and how close the cancer has grown to them.
This is called borderline resectable pancreatic cancer – although your doctor may not call it this. They may just talk to you about your treatment options. Surgeons may class this as either stage 2 or stage 3 cancer.
If your cancer has grown very close to major blood vessels near your pancreas, your doctors will look carefully at your scan results. They will try to work out if surgery is an option, but it can be hard to tell whether it’s possible to remove the cancer.
You may be offered chemotherapy on its own first. Some people then have chemotherapy with radiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy). This can sometimes shrink the cancer enough to make surgery possible. You will have scans before, during and at the end of your treatment to check how well it has worked and whether surgery may be possible.
Different medical teams may have different opinions about whether surgery is possible. You can ask for a second opinion from a different medical team if you want one.
"I have had as good an outcome from surgery as I could have hoped for and there was no identified spread to my lymph nodes. I am grateful and relieved that my 6 month post-surgery CT scan was clear."
Clinical trials are carefully controlled medical research studies that involve people. You could ask your medical team whether there are any clinical trials that you could take part in. Most trials in pancreatic cancer aim to find better treatments, including better ways of using surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Search for current pancreatic cancer trials.
There’s a lot to take in when you are diagnosed with cancer. These tips may help.
Different people will want support and information in different ways. Whatever you need, we can help.
“When I was told I needed the Whipple’s procedure to save my life, I was scared but I knew there was no other way, I thought ‘you’re not getting me cancer!’, I still think that now.”
If it’s an option for you, surgery to remove the cancer is the most effective treatment for early pancreatic cancer. You will usually be offered chemotherapy after surgery, to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back.
Read more about surgery for pancreatic cancer, including preparing for your operation and what happens after surgery.
Surgery to remove pancreatic cancer is the best treatment for people with pancreatic cancer that has not spread outside the pancreas. It can help people live longer.
Some people want to know whether their cancer can be cured, or how long they may have left to live. This is called your prognosis, outlook or life expectancy. This will be different for each person. You can read more about prognosis. It’s important to talk to your doctor about your own situation, if you want to know more.
If you have been told you can have surgery to remove the cancer, download our booklet: Pancreatic cancer that can be removed by surgery. A guide if you have just been diagnosed.
You can also order a printed copy.
We have listed some of the references to the sources used to write this information. If you would like the full list of references, email us at publications@pancreaticcancer.org.uk
We would like to thank the following people who reviewed this information.
Published March 2026
To be reviewed March 2029
