Gemcitabine (Gemzar) is approved for pancreatic cancer that has spread to nearby organs or to distant parts of the body, based on a clinical trial demonstrating that it modestly extends survival compared to 5-fluorouracil, the previous standard of care. Gemcitabine is also shown to provide greater relief from disease-related symptoms, including pain. Gemcitabine is widely used today to treat the disease, either alone or in combination with other drugs.

For patients with earlier stage disease, giving a combination of the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil and radiation following surgery (referred to as adjuvant therapy) is shown to improve median survival by nearly a year compared to surgery alone.

Surgeons refine the standard surgical approach for removing pancreatic tumors, called the "Whipple" procedure. The modified pylorus (stomach)-preserving approach takes less time to perform, requires a shorter hospital stay, and results in similar survival outcomes. Patients treated with this new approach also have a lower risk of long-term side effects, which can include gastrointestinal distress, ulcers, cramping and dizziness.