Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer can be a challenging diagnosis. Our multidisciplinary team with board-certified, fellowship-trained physicians work together through our tumor boards to create a personalized treatment plan.

Expand All

What is Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is a gastrointestinal cancer. It begins in the pancreas, which is a gland located behind the stomach. The pancreas makes juices that help you digest food and makes hormones that regulate blood sugar levels.

You might not notice pancreatic cancer symptoms at all. Some signs of pancreatic cancer are:

Abdominal or back pain
Fatigue
Weight loss
Yellow skin or eyes (jaundice)

If you have a family history of pancreatic cancer, your doctor might recommend certain blood tests. Learn more about cancer prevention and screening.

Types of Pancreatic Cancer We Treat

Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis

If you are having symptoms, our experts talk with you about what you're experiencing and any family history of cancer. We also do a physical examination to see if we can feel any swelling of other organs in your abdomen.

We may also do additional tests, including:

Angiogram
Biopsy
Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy
Endoscopic biopsy
Surgical biopsy
Blood tests
Imaging tests

Pancreatic Cancer Treatments and Research

Sentara cancer experts consider your age, overall health and pancreatic cancer type and stage when designing your treatment plan. We use a range of cancer treatments to help you heal.

Your doctor may recommend:

Ablation
Chemotherapy
Cryotherapy
Embolization
Immunotherapy
Radiation therapy
Targeted therapy

If pancreatic cancer hasn't spread significantly, doctors may recommend surgery to remove tumors. When cancer has spread, we sometimes perform palliative surgery. The goal of these procedures is to help relieve symptoms or prevent complications.

Our experts and partners also research new ways to treat cancer. Please read about our work at Sentara Health Research Center.

Support During Pancreatic Cancer Treatment