1. What are the typical symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
2. What percentage of patients present with pancreatitis as the first symptom of pancreatic cancer?
3. What are the characteristic features of pain from pancreatic cancer and what does the pain signify?
4. What do polyuria and polydipsia signify?
5. Approximately what percentage of patients present with diabetes as a sequelae of pancretic cancer?
6. At what age does pancreatic cancer present and in there are male/female predominance?
7. What are the risk factors for pancreatic cancer?
8. Where is jaundice first seen and at what serum bilirubin does it become evident?
9. What is Virchow's node?
10. What is a Courvoisier gallbladder?
11. What percentage of patients have a Courvoisier gallbladder?
12. Why should the umbilicus and cul-de-sac be carefully examined?
13. What serum diagnostic tests should be performed?
14. What radiographic studies should be performed? Are any of these specific for pancreatic cancer?
15. What are the types of non-islet cell pancreatic cancer?
16. What is the most common type of pancreatic cancer?
17. What is the prevalence of pancreatic cancer?
18. Why is vitamin K given?
19. What percentage of patients have an anomalous origin of the right hepatic artery and from which vessel?
20. Why is this important?
21. What is the staging of pancreatic cancer?
22. What is the pattern of spread of pancreatic cancer?
23. Which pancreatic cancers can be resected for "cure"?
24. What are the findings at staging that predict unresectability?
25. What are the techniques for pancreatic biopsy?
26. What are the risks of biopsy?
27. What type of pancreatic resections are performed for pancreatic cancer?
28. What is the rationale for total pancreatectomy?
29. Is there are role for preoperative biliary tract decomposition?
30. What palliative procedures are available and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
31. How common is duodenal obstruction?
32. What palliative procedures for pain control are available?
33. What is the operative morbidity and mortality rates for pancreaticoduodenectomy? For total pancreatectomy?
34. What are the major complications of pancreaticoduodenectomy and total pancreatectomy?
35. What is the rationale for total pancreatectomy?
36. Is there are role for chemotherapy or radiotherapy in treatment of pancreatic cancer?
37. What are the survival statistics for pancreatic cancer?
38. How would you differentiate between obstructive, hemolytic, and hepatocellular forms of jaundice?
39. What is the differential diagnosis of jaundice?
40. What further tests would help determine the cause of jaundice?