Pancreatic cysts increase your risk for cancer. We can get ahead of pancreatic cancer by finding and treating pancreatic cysts.
At UVA Health, you'll find one of the first programs in the country dedicated to pancreas cysts. We have effective, high-tech tools for screening and surgery. We can address your risk as quickly as possible.
Pancreatic Cysts: Hidden & Silent
Usually, pancreatic cysts don't cause symptoms. They only show up on scans you might get for something else. This makes it hard to know if you have cysts.
That's why you need to get screened and know your risk. We can look for cysts in your pancreas. Knowing they exist is the first step.
Find out if you're at risk for pancreatic cancer.
Our Cyst Strategy to Prevent Pancreatic Cancer
Many cysts are not cancer. If you lack pain or health problems, we'll watch to see if the cysts change or grow.
If the cysts cause pain or might cause cancer, we may perform surgery to remove them.
Whatever kind you have, our team watches cysts for changes. With careful monitoring, we can see if they start to become pancreatic cancer. An early diagnosis gives us the chance of a successful treatment.
A Thorough Care Approach
With each patient, we:
- Assess risk factors
- Offer nutrition counseling
- Review imaging results
- Determine the need for more diagnostics
- Perform a clinical exam
- Enter you in a program for quitting smoking, if necessary
- Give you directions and advice for next steps
Your Pancreatic Cyst Team
You can depend on our pancreatic cyst team. We all have experience and training in this field. This includes our surgeons, GI specialists, and nurses.
To make sure you get the highest level of care, we stay at the forefront of cancer research. We take part in innovative clinical trials. That way we can give you the latest in pancreatic cyst care.