Insights

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Pancreatic Cancer 2012: Surgical & Medical Treatment

Timothy R. Donahue, MD and Zev Wainberg, MD

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. It is the second most common cause of gastrointestinal cancers, behind colon cancer. Patients often do not experience symptoms until the cancer involves the surrounding blood vessels or spreads beyond the pancreas, and they are initially treated with chemotherapy and occasionally radiation therapy. Surgical treatment is offered to patients with early stage tumors that are confined to the region of the pancreas; it includes a Whipple resection, which is a complex surgery. This lecture will address the surgical and medical treatment of patients with both early and late stage disease. Up to date information on improved survival associated with chemotherapy regimens and biologic agents will be reviewed. We will also highlight the diverse resources that are available within the UCLA Center for Pancreatic Diseases, including clinical trials, palliative treatments, support services, etc.

Timothy R. Donahue, MD is an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Molecular & Medical Pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is the Director of the Pancreatic Translational Program at the UCLA Institute for Molecular Medicine. His clinical practice is focused on pancreatic surgery, and his research program examines the molecular genetics of pancreatic cancer. His research laboratory has multiple sources of funding. Dr. Donahue attended college and medical school at Northwestern University, and he trained in General Surgery at UCLA. He has been on the UCLA faculty for over two years, and is extremely devoted to his patients and improving the prognosis of patients diagnosed with this devastating disease.

Zev Wainberg, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA.  As a medical oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers, Dr. Wainberg has an active practice and has many clinical trials devoted to these diseases.  He is actively involved in designing and leading multiple clinical trials that are aimed at identifying the right patient populations for pancreatic cancer therapies.