Pancreatic Cancer: Early Detection & Expert Care

Pancreatic cancer is hard to treat. Once you have it, surgery is the only cure, but only for 10-15% of patients.

That's why we're not just trying to find better treatments. We've become an international leader in catching pancreatic cancer before it strikes.

Pancreatic Cancer Experts

Our surgical team has some of the best outcomes in the country. You'll get care from surgeons, nurses, GI specialists, cancer experts, radiologists and genetic counselors. All of us have specialized training in dealing with pancreatic cysts and tumors. We work together to give you the best care and most advanced options possible.

Types of Pancreas Surgery

We offer the most advanced surgical options for patients at all stages of disease. This includes treating painful pancreatic cysts.

Surgery for cancer of the pancreas at UVA includes:

The Whipple procedure
Distal pancreatectomy, which removes the body and tail of the pancreas
Splenectomy, or spleen removal
Total pancreatectomy, or removal of the entire pancreas

Catching Cancer as Early as We Can

Pancreatic cancer symptoms usually don't show up until the disease has spread to other parts of the body. By then, it's too late for most treatments. We're researching ways to catch pancreatic cancer early. We're working to give patients the best chance for survival. Research efforts include:

Developing a test that could identify precancerous pancreatic cells

Discovering a biomarker in blood that finds pancreatic tumors over 90% of the time