Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a gastrointestinal cancer that affects the pancreas, a small gland that produces enzymes and hormones, including insulin, to regulate your blood glucose and help you digest food. Pancreatic cancer is a very complex disease that spreads quickly. It is often diagnosed late, making treatment more difficult. There are two types of pancreatic cancer. Exocrine pancreatic cancer, which represents the greatest number of cases, develops in the ducts that produce digestive fluids. Endocrine pancreatic cancer, also called islet cell cancer, begins in the cells that make hormones.

Discover Our Difference

Our physicians are global leaders in the diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment of complex pancreatic cancer. Many of our physicians are involved in research, including clinical trials with a drug developed at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Research in action

Masonic Cancer Center was one of four institutions awarded a five-year, $11.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to explore groundbreaking pancreatic cancer research, prevention and treatment. The grant focuses on achieving breakthroughs in research to better understand, diagnose and treat patients with pancreatic cancer. The medical center is one of a very few institutions in the country with federal funding to support a comprehensive treatment program in pancreatic cancer.

Diagnosis and Treatment

We offer you several treatment options for pancreatic cancer, depending on your age, your overall health, the size and location of your tumor, and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. Treatments we offer include:

Chemotherapy
Immunotherapy
Medical Management
Pancreas Surgery
Radiation Oncology
Radiation Therapy
Surgical Oncology
TomoTherapy
Whipple Procedure

Our Specialties and Services

Liver, Pancreas and Biliary Program

We offer highly specialized care for patients with cancer of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and bile ducts. Also known as Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) care, our team made up of surgical oncologists, gastroenterologists, medical & radiation oncologists and other specialists partner together and create coordinated care plans for patients with these challenging diseases. We offer unique expertise in complex surgical procedures, novel interventional radiology techniques, targeted drug therapies and leading-edge clinical trials.