How pancreatic cancer metastasizes

The main metastatic pathways of pancreatic cancer are lymph node metastasis and direct infiltration, followed by blood dissemination and spread along the nerve sheath. When pancreatic cancer is diagnosed, only about 10% of patients still have localized tumors; while 90% of patients have metastasized, of which more than 50% metastasize to the mesentery, 25% to the mesentery, and more than 20% to the duodenum.

1. Direct invasion is one of the main forms of pancreatic cancer metastasis. In the early stage, it can directly invade the lower end of the common bile duct, portal vein, inferior vena cava and superior mesenteric vessels. In the late stage, it usually infiltrates the retroperitoneal fibrofatty tissue, lesser omental bursa, duodenum, posterior wall of the stomach, etc. The cancer and the affected tissues are widely fused into a mass, forming a large mass that is fixed in the abdominal cavity. After the pancreatic body and tail tumors invade the peritoneum and greater omentum, extensive implant metastasis occurs and bloody

2. Pancreatic cancer infiltrates along the nerve sheath and metastasizes posteriorly to involve the retroperitoneal nerve sheath and nerve roots, causing persistent back pain.

3. Lymph node metastasis Cancerous lymph nodes located in the head of the pancreas and organs such as the liver and gallbladder have the highest chance of metastasis, and the hilar and subpyloric lymph node groups usually have the highest metastasis rate. Tumors in the body and tail of the pancreas metastasize more widely, and in addition to peripheral lymph node metastasis, they can often metastasize to organs such as the liver, lungs, and bones.

4. Hematogenous spread Hematogenous spread of pancreatic cancer usually spreads from the portal vein to the liver, then to the lungs, and then to the adrenal glands, kidneys, spleen, brain, bones and other tissues.