Ampullary Cancer Treatment in Delhi, India

Ampullary cancer (carcinoma) is one of the rarest forms of cancer and occurs in the ampulla of Vater. The ampulla of Vater is where the pancreatic duct and the bile duct meet and drain into the small intestine. If cancer grows, it may affect the surrounding organs, viz. pancreas and liver. The preferred treatment choice is usually surgery to remove cancer along the margins of healthy tissues.

Ampullary Cancer Causes

One of the causes of ampullary cancer is heredity. If you or your family member had adenomatous polyposis or Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer), there are chances that you can contract ampullary cancer in the future.

Other causes include:

• Exposure to environmental toxins and disruptors, DNA Damage

Ampullary Cancer Symptoms

Ampullary cancer may or may not take time to grow and manifest as symptoms. Although symptoms are characteristic of ampullary cancer, they may vary from person to person and depend on body type, medical history, demography and genetic makeup.

Some of the common signs and symptoms of ampullary cancer are:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Itchy skin
• Diarrhoea
• Pancreatitis
• Greyish stool

Ampullary Cancer Diagnosis

• Endoscopy: If you experience the above symptoms, your doctor may recommend you undergo an endoscopic procedure. In this procedure, the surgeon inserts a thin scope through your throat to obtain images of the digestive tract. The scope has a light source and a camera to facilitate capturing images. The images can help the surgeon look for abnormal growths in the digestive tract.
• Imaging tests: MRI and CT scans are recommended to measure the exact location, size and placement of cancer. This gives your surgeon a clear picture to plan treatment methods.
• Biopsy: Upon spotting an abnormal growth in your digestive tract, your surgeon may scrape out a few cells to study them under a microscope. Suppose the pathologist spots abnormal morphology or appearance of the cells under study. In that case, it is confirmed as cancer, and your surgeon may recommend chemotherapy or surgery depending on the size, stage and progression of cancer.

Ampullary Cancer Treatment

The choice of treatment usually depends on the stage and size of the cancer. You have a higher chance of remission if you catch your cancer early.

If the cancer is small and localised, it can be treated with chemotherapy. But, if the cancer is big, has spread to nearby organs, or is situated in a critical spot, surgery can remove the cancerous tissues along with a small margin of surrounding healthy tissues.

The Whipple procedure is conducted. The surgeon removes a part of the pancreas, small intestine, gall bladder and bile duct. However, for most ampullary cancers, surgery, chemotherapy (administering medicines to shrink cancer) and radiation therapy (using X-rays to shrink cancer) is preferred to stop the spread.

After removing the cancer, you may be asked to stay for a few days at the hospital until recovery. You may be prescribed chemotherapy to help shrink the tumour and prevent a relapse. Suppose your tumour does not respond well to chemotherapy or is anticipated to grow rapidly. In that case, you may be asked to undergo radiation therapy a few times until the cancer shrinks or is removed completely.

Risk Factors of Ampullary Cancer

Ampullary cancer, though rare, is more commonly seen in men than women. Moreover, if you have familial adenomatous polyposis or Lynch syndrome, you are at risk of developing ampullary cancer in the future. Other risk factors include an inflammatory diet with sugar, gluten, oily and spicy food, and exposure to environmental toxins, pesticides, etc.

Possible Complications of Ampullary Cancer

Some of the common complications post ampullary cancer treatment, and diagnosis are:

• Infections
• Delayed digestive emptying
• Constipation
• Hair loss
• Nausea
• Infertility
• Blood clots

You should speak with your medical practitioner about the prognosis and what to expect after diagnosis and treatment.