Early Diagnosis in High Risk Patients |
Surgical Management
Pancreatic Cancer Clinic |
New Therapies |
Endoscopic Therapies |
Quality of Life
Molecular Research: Proteomics |
Molecular Research: Gene Identificaiton
A number of different cancers may involve the pancreas. These include pancreatic
adenocarcinoma (the most common cancer involving the pancreas), islet tumors of the
pancreas, and cancers of the bile duct and duodenum. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the
fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It appears to be increasing
in frequency and in many cases has a genetic predisposition. It is clearly hereditary in
5-10% of cases; the risk of pancreatic cancer is increased 3-fold if one first-degree relative
is affected. Having multiple affected members increases the risk even more, so that some
family members have a 50-50 chance of inheriting pancreatic cancer. How will we provide
cancer surveillance for these people who have family members who developed the disease?
A team of doctors at the University of Washington has developed a multidisciplinary surveillance program for the
early detection of pancreatic cancer and its precursors in patients with a familial predisposition
for pancreatic cancer. This surveillance program is the first of its kind in the world. The
approach requires the expertise and dedication of specialists who are trained in endoscopy,
surgery, and pathology of the pancreas. These specialists at the UW are among only a handful of
physicians worldwide with expertise and experience in this arena of medicine. We are now able to
identify patients who have pancreatic pre-cancer and warrant surgical intervention, to prevent
invasive cancer and cure them of their early disease. At present, almost all symptomatic
pancreatic cancer is advanced and incurable when diagnosed. In hereditary pancreatic cancer we
have shown that pre-cancer or early cancer diagnosed while asymptomatic is curable.