American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [529]
Treatment
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to control with available treatments. If pancreatic cancer is detected at an early stage, surgery to remove part or all of the pancreas may provide a cure. In one surgical procedure, part of the pancreas and part of the small intestine and some of the tissue around the small intestine are removed. Enough of the pancreas remains to produce insulin and aid in digestion.
After surgery for pancreatic cancer, chemotherapy (see page 23) and radiation therapy (see page 23) may be used alone or together, but they are generally not very effective for this type of cancer. When pancreatic cancer is detected at an advanced stage, the outlook is poor and treatment focuses on reducing the person’s discomfort and the risk of complications. For example, if a tumor blocks the bile duct or duodenum (upper part of the small intestine), a doctor can create a bypass to allow fluids to flow through the digestive tract. Alternatively, a stent (a mesh tube) may be inserted into the duct or intestine to relieve the blockage and reduce the discomfort. Your doctor may talk with you about participating in a clinical trial of an experimental new treatment for pancreatic cancer.
7
Disorders of the Urinary Tract
As your body uses up the nutrients from the food you eat, it produces toxic waste products that the blood carries to the kidneys and liver for removal. The kidneys filter the waste products from the blood, combine them with water, and excrete them from the body as urine. The production and excretion of urine are essential to maintain life.
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist, at the back of the abdominal cavity, just above the waist and on each side of the spine. The functions of the kidneys include regulating blood pressure, maintaining the balance of body fluids and electrolytes (essential minerals that help regulate various body processes), eliminating waste products, and stimulating bone marrow to produce red blood cells.
Each kidney contains more than 1 million tiny filtering units called nephrons, which allow amino acids, glucose, mineral salts, and waste products to pass from the blood into a series of microscopic tubes (tubules). The tubules reabsorb the essential nutrients (such as glucose, sodium, and potassium) and secrete waste products and excess water as urine. A steady stream of urine flows from the kidneys down to the bladder (a hollow, muscular organ in the pelvis that serves as a reservoir for urine) through a pair of narrow muscular tubes called ureters.
During urination, the bladder contracts and expels urine through a larger muscular tube called the urethra. In males, the opening of the urethra is in the tip of the head of the penis; in females, the opening is directly in front of the vagina. The system that runs from the kidneys to the urethra is called the urinary tract.
The urinary tract
The kidneys are at the back of the abdominal cavity, just above the waist and on each side of the spine. The ureters carry a steady stream of urine from the kidneys to the bladder, which is in the pelvis just behind the pubic bone. The bladder expels urine from the body through the urethra.
The urinary tract is susceptible to a number of disorders. For example, infection or inflammation of the kidneys or fat buildup (atherosclerosis; see page 557) in the small arteries inside the kidneys can cause scarring of the filtering tissue. This scarring may ultimately lead to kidney failure. Mineral deposits called kidney stones can form, obstructing the flow of urine and causing severe pain. Stones may also form in the bladder, especially when the bladder does not empty properly. Tumors can form anywhere along the urinary tract.
How the Urinary Tract Functions
The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate gland (in men), and urethra. The kidneys filter the blood and excrete waste products and excess water as urine. The ureters carry urine