The Northside Hospital Cancer Institute (NHCI) Liver and Pancreas Program provides comprehensive hepatobiliary (liver, bile ducts, or gallbladder) and pancreatic cancer care and treatment services.
In 2018, it’s was estimated over 55,000 would be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Northside Hospital’s Liver and Pancreas Program is committed to providing safe and effective care to patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, from early detection to cancer treatment and survivorship.
Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas makes and releases enzymes into the intestines that help the body digest and absorb food, especially fats. The pancreas also makes and releases insulin and glucagon, which are hormones that help the body control blood sugar levels.
Pancreatic cancers are difficult to detect early and do not typically produce signs or symptoms until later stages of the disease.
Hepatobiliary cancers may start in the liver, pancreas, bile duct or gallbladder, or they may spread from somewhere else in the body. While many patients do not experience pancreatic cancer symptoms at all, when they do occur, they may include:
Pancreatic cancer is slightly more common in women than in men and the risk for developing it increases with age. Family history of the disease also slightly increases the chance of developing pancreatic cancer. The exact cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown.
Risk factors associated with liver cancer include:
Learn more about pancreatic cancer risk factors.
There is no guaranteed prevention against pancreatic cancer; however, the following measures may reduce a person’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer:
As part of our comprehensive approach to cancer prevention and education, Northside offers Built To Quit, a smoking and tobacco cessation program offering resources to help individuals quit smoking and stop using other tobacco products. For additional information please call 404-780-7653 or email smokingcessation@northside.com or click on the button below to register online for an upcoming class.
Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is made by a pancreatic biopsy. If tests confirm you have pancreatic cancer, additional tests will be performed to see how far the cancer has spread within and outside the pancreas. This is called staging.
Northside Hospital offers specialized care for many different types of pancreatic cancers including:
The strength of Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s Liver and Pancreas Program is our multidisciplinary team of dedicated, specially trained pancreatic cancer specialists and oncology support services personnel. Our expert medical team works together to develop a personalized cancer treatment plan for each pancreatic cancer patient. Northside’s liver and pancreatic care team offers a comprehensive scope of medical services, the latest technology, and leading-edge clinical research to treat pancreatic cancer.
Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s multidisciplinary team of pancreatic cancer specialists consists of:
NHCI’s Liver and Pancreas Program holds weekly
multidisciplinary conferences providing a forum for hepatobiliary cancer specialists to review radiology and pathology images and discuss the best pancreatic cancer treatment options, including clinical trials, and agree upon an evidence-based
treatment plan for each patient. By prospectively discussing pancreatic cancer cases during conference, patients get the benefit of more than a dozen expert medical opinions.
Northside Hospital Cancer Institute is committed to providing high quality pancreatic cancer treatment and making access as convenient as possible. As part of our high-volume cancer center for both liver and pancreas surgeries, the expertise of Northside’s surgeons has resulted in surgical outcomes that meet or exceed the highest national benchmarks.
Our accredited cancer program treats many different types of hepatobiliary cancers with the latest cancer treatments – including personalized therapies based on the cancer’s specific genetic makeup.
For more information about pancreatic cancer treatments, please expand the content below.
Pancreatic cancer treatment and recovery can be overwhelming, which is why Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s Liver and Pancreas Program offers access to oncology nurse navigators who support patients every step of their journey. Our oncology nurse navigators are registered nurses with extensive knowledge and training in oncology. They are available to help guide patients after diagnosis and through treatment, educating and supporting them to make informed decisions.
Support provided by oncology nurse navigators includes:
To learn more about oncology patient navigation or to speak with an oncology nurse navigator, please call 404-300-2800 or email nurse.navigator@northside.com.
Ongoing support is crucial when facing cancer and afterward. Northside Hospital Cancer Institute provides a full range of cancer support and survivorship programs and services to address the unique needs of pancreatic cancer patients.
Our oncology nurse navigators facilitate access to Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s comprehensive portfolio of patient support services depending upon each patient’s unique needs.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OF OUR NHCI SUPPORT & SURVIVORSHIP SERVICES
