Treatments

  • Surgery

    An operation may be needed to remove the tumor.

    • Enucleation: When the cancer occurs in one place in the pancreas, this surgery may remove the tumor only.
    • Whipple Procedure (Pancreatoduodenectomy): A surgical procedure designed to remove the head of your pancreas, gallbladder, nearby lymph nodes and possibly part of the stomach, small intestine, and bile duct, depending on your condition. The surgeon leaves enough of the pancreas to produce digestive juices and insulin.
    • Distal Pancreatectomy: This is a surgery to remove portions of the pancreas, including the body and tail. The surgeon may also decide to remove your spleen, depending on your condition. 
    • Total Gastrectomy: This surgery is performed to remove the whole stomach.
    • Parietal Cell Vagotomy: This surgery is performed to cut the nerve that causes stomach cells to make acid.
    • Liver resection: This surgery removes part or all of the liver.

  • Chemotherapy

    With chemotherapy, drugs are used to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing off the cells or by keeping them from dividing. Taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle (systemic chemotherapy), the chemo drugs enter the bloodstream and reach any cancer cells located throughout the body. When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen (regional chemotherapy), the drugs affect tumor cells in those areas.

    • If you need intravenous (infusion) chemotherapy, you can have it at the Comprehensive Treatment Unit (CTU) at Sylvester’s main location in Miami, a 12,000-square-foot unit that includes 33 recliners and 11 private rooms. If you prefer, you may have your infusion treatments at the Kendall, Plantation, Hollywood, Coral Springs, Coral Gables, and Deerfield Beach locations.
    • Cold cap therapy to minimize hair loss: Sylvester offers FDA-cleared cold cap therapy to minimize hair loss during chemotherapy. Cold cap therapy works by cooling your scalp during treatment.

  • Hormone Therapy

    Some hormones can cause certain cancers to grow. This treatment removes or blocks hormones and stops cancer cells from growing. If the tests show that cancer cells have places where hormones may attach, known as receptors, drugs, surgery, or radiation therapy is used to lessen the production of hormones.

  • Hepatic Arterial Occlusion or Chemoembolization

    Hepatic arterial occlusion uses drugs, small particles, or other agents to block or reduce the flow of blood to the liver through the hepatic artery (the major blood vessel that carries blood to the liver). This is done to kill cancer cells growing in the liver. The tumor is prevented from getting the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow. The liver continues to receive blood from the hepatic portal vein, which carries blood from the stomach and intestine.

    • Chemotherapy delivered during hepatic arterial occlusion is called chemoembolization. The anticancer drug is injected into the hepatic artery through a catheter (thin tube). The drug is mixed with the substance that blocks the artery and cuts off blood flow to the tumor. Most of the anticancer drug is trapped near the tumor and only a small amount of the drug reaches other parts of the body.

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  • Targeted Therapy

    Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. Certain types of targeted therapies are being studied in the treatment of pancreatic NETs.

  • Supportive Care

    Supportive care is given to lessen the problems caused by the disease or its treatment.