You are at the center of everything we do at the Pancreatic Cancer Specialty Clinic at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Here, we surround you with a team of specialists who work together closely to provide expertly targeted, complete care and compassionate support throughout your treatment and beyond.
Our goal is to reduce any obstacles you and your family may face in navigating a complex medical system. We guide you every step of the way, combining our deep clinical expertise in pancreatic cancer with a commitment to meet your unique needs.
If you have a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the pancreas, visit our NET section.
Why Choose Fred Hutch?
True Team Care
The multidisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Specialty Clinic has a team of surgical, medical and radiation oncologists as well as radiologists, pathologists, nurses, symptom management and pain specialists, registered dietitians and social workers, all dedicated to taking care of you.
Experienced Pancreatic Cancer Specialists
Fred Hutch patients receive state-of-the-art care from some of the world’s leading physicians. In fact, our physicians help define the national standards for pancreatic cancer care. We treat many patients with pancreatic cancer.
Comprehensive Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
Our physicians provide the full spectrum of treatments you may need: surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and radiation therapy. Before your first visit, your team reviews your medical records (and may ask for more tests) so we're prepared to design and explain your individualized treatment plan the same day we see you.
Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials
To give you access to the most innovative therapies, Fred Hutch offers pancreatic cancer clinical studies not available everywhere. We'll talk with you about both standard treatments and studies that might be right for you. In partnership with PanCAN's Precision Promise, Fred Hutch has a new approach to pancreatic cancer clinical trials that aim to get new and better treatments approved more quickly.
Where You're Treated First Matters Most
Studies have shown that patients evaluated and treated at a multidisciplinary cancer center, like Fred Hutch, have better outcomes and that the first treatment you receive for cancer is by far the most important. Patients who begin treatment at Fred Hutch often have better outcomes than those who started treatment elsewhere.
A National Leader in Cancer Care
Fred Hutch is the leading cancer treatment center in the region and among the top nationally, according to U.S. News & World Report.
NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center
We are a comprehensive cancer center, a designation from the National Cancer Institute that reflects our scientific leadership and the depth and breadth of our research to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
NPF Center of Excellence
Fred Hutch has been nationally recognized as an approved National Pancreas Foundation Center of Excellence. NPF Centers are awarded after a rigorous audit review to determine that an institution effectively employs multidisciplinary treatment with a focus on the best possible outcomes and an improved quality of life.
Learn About Pancreatic Cancer
Most of the time, “pancreatic cancer” means pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma — cancer that begins in the small tubes (ducts) inside the pancreas. A different type of cancer called a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) can also affect the pancreas.
Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer
Our experts offer comprehensive care for pancreatic cancer, including advanced treatments and new options available only through clinical studies.
Pancreatic Cancer Care Team
At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like nutritionists, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders.
Second Opinions
If you’ve been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), we recommend getting a second opinion before starting treatment.
Though you can benefit from a second opinion at any time, it is most valuable when you are first diagnosed and have the widest array of treatment options. For example, there might be a clinical trial that is right for you but is only open to people who haven't started treatment yet.
Fred Hutch is home to the region’s only Pancreatic Cancer Specialty Clinic, where our medical, surgical and radiation oncologists and supportive care professionals meet weekly to discuss and care for people with pancreatic cancer as a team. During a single visit you get the second opinion of not one doctor but an entire group of specialists.
Based on your unique situation, we might schedule you with a single specialist who is best qualified to provide an opinion about your options — for example, if you have metastatic cancer and are already receiving treatment.
Talk with pancreatic cancer experts who understand your disease in greater depth than the general oncologists in your local community.
Call us at 855.557.0555 to request an appointment for a second opinion.
How a Second Opinion Can Help
Getting a second opinion from physicians who specialize in pancreatic cancer can help you:
Feel Confident That Your Cancer Has Been Accurately Diagnosed and Staged
There are several types of pancreatic cancer, and evaluating the stage of these tumors can be complex. Pathologists, radiologists and gastroenterologists from Fred Hutch are experts in diagnosing pancreatic cancers and have access to the latest technologies to help ensure we know as much about your cancer as possible.
Consider State-Of-The-Art Treatment Options
A second opinion may identify better, more advanced or more aggressive options, including minimally invasive techniques, such as laparoscopic surgery; the latest radiation therapies, including proton therapy; and clinical studies of new chemotherapies.
Understand the Benefits of Specialized, Multidisciplinary Care
The team of pancreatic cancer specialists from Fred Hutch offers in-depth understanding of the full spectrum of treatments. We have first-hand knowledge of current research and a wealth of treatment experience.
Start with a Course of Therapy Tailored to You
We focus on you, not just your cancer, when developing a treatment plan. We consider your goals, plans, beliefs, values and preferences to design your treatment holistically.
Learn Whether Genetics Play a Role
Your genetic make-up may have played a role in the development of your cancer, and it might impact your treatment. Depending on our findings, you and your family may benefit from Fred Hutch’s Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention Program.
Latest Treatments and Clinical Trials
Many patients at Fred Hutch receive promising therapies by taking part in clinical trials. These research studies are done by physician-scientists from Fred Hutch and UW Medicine. They test new treatments or new ways to use current treatments.
Every advance in cancer treatment in recent years has come out of clinical trials. We offer more active clinical trials than anywhere else, which means more treatment options for patients like you.
For some people, taking part in a clinical study may be the best treatment choice. Access to clinical studies by researchers at both Fred Hutch and UW Medicine is one reason many patients come to us for care.
Our scientists and physicians are conducting novel pancreatic cancer studies, and we're part of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Precision Promise Clinical Trials Consortium, designed to quickly and dramatically improve outcomes for the disease.
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat in part because the tumor builds a biological barrier around itself that keeps chemotherapy out. Fred Hutch’s Sunil Hingorani, MD, and his research team found a way to dissolve this barrier with an enzyme known as PEGPH20. Their research led to a series of clinical trials combining PEGPH20 with chemotherapy with promising results.
Your Fred Hutch team will talk with you about available studies that are appropriate for you and could give you access to promising new options.
