Pancreatic cancer often doesn’t have any symptoms in its early stages, making it difficult to detect and diagnose until it becomes more advanced. That’s why it’s essential to have an experienced cancer care team on your side. In the Sutter Health network, doctors have access to advanced diagnostic techniques, such as somatostatin receptor scintigraphy and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, to identify tumors.

Once identified, common methods of treatment include chemotherapy, drug therapy and radiation therapy, like sterotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). For some cancers, we offer the latest and most advanced surgical techniques, including biliary bypass surgery, embolization therapy, distal pancreatectomy and the Whipple procedure. Your doctor will work with you to determine the best treatment option for you.

Throughout the diagnostic and treatment process, doctors and specialists in the Sutter Health network work with you to provide pain management and palliative services to keep you feeling as well as possible. In addition, we offer special services and support, such as support groups, nutritional counseling and integrative medical therapies.

Across the Sutter Health network, our cancer centers have earned accreditation from the American College of Surgeons for providing comprehensive cancer care. Many doctors in the Sutter Health network also participate in research studies and clinical trials to discover new methods for treating various types of cancer.