If you have been diagnosed with locally advanced or advanced (metastatic) pancreatic cancer, you may have been told that surgery to remove your cancer isn’t possible. Your doctor may call your cancer inoperable or unresectable.
Locally advanced cancer is cancer that has spread outside the pancreas. It may have spread to the large blood vessels near the pancreas, or to a number of lymph nodes. It is stage 3 cancer.
Occasionally, stage 3 cancer is borderline resectable cancer. This means that the cancer has grown very close to the major blood vessels near the pancreas. You may be able to have surgery to remove the cancer, but it depends which blood vessels are affected. Some surgeons class this as stage 2 cancer.
Advanced cancer is cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It may have spread to your lungs, liver or lining of your tummy (peritoneum). It is stage 4 cancer. Your doctor may call it metastatic cancer.
If you have just been diagnosed with locally advanced or advanced cancer, download our booklet: Pancreatic cancer if you can’t have surgery (inoperable cancer). A guide if you have just been diagnosed.
You can also order a printed copy.
You may be able to have treatments to try to control the cancer, such as chemotherapy. The aim of treatment will be to control the growth of your cancer, manage any symptoms and generally improve how you feel. If you have symptoms, there are also treatments to help manage these.
Whatever your options, having treatment is your decision, and you don’t have to decide anything straight away. You may be offered another appointment if you need it to discuss any questions you have.
If you have locally advanced pancreatic cancer, it’s not usually possible to remove the cancer with surgery. You may be offered chemotherapy on its own first, and then sometimes with radiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy) afterwards. This aims to shrink the cancer, slow down its growth, and control your symptoms. For a small number of people, this may make surgery to remove the cancer possible.
If you have advanced cancer and are well enough, you may be offered chemotherapy. Chemotherapy may help to control the cancer and help with symptoms. It won’t cure the cancer, but it may help you live longer and generally feel better.
If you have symptoms from the cancer there are also treatments for these. A specialist palliative care team or supportive care team can help manage symptoms. They also provide emotional and practical support. They can help you live as long and as comfortably as possible, and plan for the future. They will also offer support to your family.
Some people find the thought of palliative care upsetting. But these services aren’t just for people at the end of their life. They are available at any point during treatment or care for people with cancer that can’t be cured.
Some people with advanced pancreatic cancer may not be able to have treatment to control their cancer. This will depend on your situation. For example, you might not be physically well enough for treatments like chemotherapy. Some people may decide not to have treatment for the cancer. This can be for lots of different reasons, and will be a very personal decision to you. You can still have treatments to help with any symptoms.
Clinical trials are carefully controlled medical research studies that involve people. Most trials in pancreatic cancer aim to find better treatments. Ask your medical team whether there are any suitable clinical trials that you could take part in. A clinical trial may give you the chance to try a new treatment. But there’s no guarantee that it will be any better than current treatments.
You can ask for a second opinion about your treatment options from a different medical team, if you want one. Most doctors will help you do this, if you ask them. But don’t delay your treatment while you get a second opinion, as it can take several weeks.
If you or a loved one have just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, our emails can help you get the information and support you need. The emails are tailored to the diagnosis and provide key information over several weeks.
You will probably have lots of questions about your diagnosis or treatment options. Ask your doctor or nurse any questions you have – they are there to support you.
You can also speak to our specialist nurses on our free Support Line with any questions about your diagnosis and treatment options.
Pancreatic cancer can cause symptoms, and the treatments can cause side effects. Not everyone will have the same symptoms or side effects.
It’s important to talk to your medical team about any symptoms as they can help you with managing them. Getting treatment for symptoms can improve how you feel, both physically and emotionally.
We have more information about all these symptoms. Remember that not everyone will get all these symptoms.
Mum was anxious about changing symptoms. Some months there was no pain, but she vomited, other times there was bad indigestion, sometimes there was pain in her abdomen. I urged her to keep track and make sure she told the doctors or nurse. The nurse was amazing and really worked with her to get her symptoms sorted.
Read about other people’s experiences of being diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer.
Order our newly diagnosed pack, to help you understand your diagnosis and treatment options
Published November 2022
To be reviewed November 2025
