Pancreatic Cancer Surgery
If you have pancreatic cancer, your doctor may recommend surgery as a form of treatment. Our experienced team of surgical oncology specialists at Washington Cancer Institute carefully considers every treatment option.
In cancer care, the partnership between you and the physician is vital to treatment and quality of life. Our approach to pancreatic cancer treatment ensures a strong partnership during a crucial period, when patients and families are facing cancer diagnosis and weighing their options.
Pancreatic cancer care in Washington, D.C.
We combine a multidisciplinary approach with an entire program of treatment devoted to patient care:
- Our specialists are renowned in the fields of surgical oncology, radiation oncology and the use of chemotherapy to treat pancreatic cancer
- We are pioneering the use of intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy to treat pancreatic cancer
- We regularly perform the most delicate and advanced pancreatic surgeries, such as the Whipple procedure Our doctors are experienced in the latest ways of treating pancreatic tumors, using minimally invasive forms of radiation medicine
Pancreatic cancer treatment options
Your doctors may recommend pancreatic cancer surgery as well as a range of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, along with intraperitoneal chemotherapy. This new, innovative treatment provides your doctor another way to target chemotherapy drugs directly at cancer cells and minimize exposure to healthy tissues. This procedure was pioneered and developed by Paul Sugarbaker, MD.
Learn more about intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Pancreatic cancer surgery
Surgical procedures we use to treat pancreatic cancer include:
- Distal pancreatectomy—benign or malignant tumors in the pancreas are removed, along with the spleen, in many cases
- Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy—a less invasive version of a distal pancreatectomy that is performed using smaller incisions
- Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy)—involves the removal of tumors in the head of the pancreas, along with the gallbladder, part of the stomach, part of the small intestine and the bile duct. This leaves the portion of the pancreas that preserves the important functions of digesting food and producing insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.
- Total pancreatectomy—the removal of the entire pancreas, part of the stomach and small intestine, common bile duct, gallbladder, spleen and nearby lymph nodes; often performed when the pancreatic disease has advanced
As with all of our treatment teams, our pancreatic cancer surgical oncology team is dedicated to working closely with you and your family in healing and recovery.
Read about:
See more about how we care for our patients before, during and after cancer treatment in Cancer Support Services.
Discover how we are finding better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in Research and Clinical Trials.
For information or appointments, please call 202-877-3295.