Pancreatic Cancer
Our mission is to provide you or your loved one with individualized treatment through seamless collaboration, access to leading-edge therapies, and a commitment to advancing the future of pancreatic cancer care.
Multidisciplinary care for pancreatic cancer
Your first step is an evaluation with our dedicated multidisciplinary clinic (MDC), where experts from multiple specialties meet to develop a personalized treatment plan. This collaborative approach allows you to receive expert opinions from all relevant specialists in one coordinated setting, reducing delays in care while ensuring every treatment is evidence-based and right for you.
Our pancreatic cancer MDC includes specialists in:
- Medical oncology
- Surgical oncology
- Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery
- Radiation oncology
- Gastroenterology and advanced endoscopy
- Diagnostic and interventional radiology
- Pathology
- Genetics and genetic counseling
- Nutrition
- Palliative and supportive care
- Oncology nursing
- Clinical research coordinators
- Social work and patient navigation
Comprehensive, personalized care
From diagnosis through survivorship, our team remains committed to providing compassionate, coordinated care focused on achieving the best possible outcomes. Our program offers the full spectrum of pancreatic cancer care including:
- Early diagnosis and advanced imaging
- Genetic testing and molecular profiling
- Neoadjuvant therapy (given before surgery to shrink a tumor) and adjuvant therapy (given after surgery to destroy remaining cancer cells and lower risk for recurrence)
- Complex pancreatic surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Precision medicine
- Immunotherapy and target therapies (when appropriate)
- Liver-directed therapies for metastatic disease
- Symptom management, nutrition, and supportive care
- Survivorship services
Access to innovative clinical trials
As a leading oncology research program, we provide you with access to clinical trials evaluating promising new therapies that may not be widely available elsewhere. Participation in clinical research allows eligible patients to benefit from tomorrow’s treatments while contributing to advances shaping future standards of care.
Our portfolio includes investigator-initiated studies, cooperative group trials, and industry-sponsored research evaluating:
- Novel chemotherapy combinations
- Targeted therapies
- KRAS-directed treatments
- Immunotherapy strategies
- Perioperative treatment approaches
- Biomarker-driven precision medicine
Pancreatic cancer vaccine clinical trial
In 2024, we were chosen as the region’s only clinical-trial site for an immunotherapeutic pancreatic cancer vaccine. Suresh Nair, MD, Physician in Chief of Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, is principal investigator of the randomized trial. The drug “teaches” the immune system to fight pancreatic cancer recurrence by targeting specific genetic mutations that cause cancer cells to grow. Several patients have been enrolled in the trial including one who, after three years, is now disease-free.
By participating in clinical trials as well as through education and research, our team is committed to advancing the science of pancreatic cancer. Another example of this commitment is our Annual Pancreatic Cancer Symposium to discuss emerging research, innovative treatments, multidisciplinary management, and the latest advances in pancreatic cancer care. The symposium serves as an educational forum for physicians, researchers, nurses, and healthcare professionals committed to improving outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer.
