A pear-shaped gland, the pancreas is about 6 inches long and located between the stomach and the spine. It makes juices that help you digest food, and regulate hormones (such as insulin and glucagon) that control blood sugar levels, helping the body use and store energy from food. The most common pancreatic cancer is called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, or PDAC. It begins in exocrine cells (those that produce digestive juices).
Why Choose Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center?
One of only 71 NCI-designated cancer centers in the United States. Sylvester is one of only two cancer centers in Florida that have been recognized by the National Cancer Institute. The team earned this distinction through its outstanding work conducting research in its laboratories, treating patients in its clinics and hospitals, and reaching out to medically underserved communities with innovative prevention strategies.
Advanced care that improves outcomes. At our center, patients experience survival rates up to 14 percent higher than national averages for early- and late-stage pancreatic cancer. We provide more precise diagnosis and treatment for your exact cancer so you can experience the best possible outcomes and the least potential negative side effects.
Advanced radiation oncology tools. Sylvester is one of only five medical centers in the country with ViewRay™ — MRI-guided radiation therapy. Our RapidArc® radiotherapy system delivers intensity modulated external radiation therapy (IMRT). These tools lead to more efficient and effective treatments, shorter treatment times, pinpoint accuracy in tumor targeting, and less damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
More cancer clinical trials than any other South Florida hospital. If appropriate for your cancer and stage, our clinical trials provide you with easy access the very newest ways to treat and potentially cure your cancer.
Multidisciplinary care teams. Your care team is made up of experts in all aspects of your exact type of cancer. All of your physicians, nurses and more collaborate to save lives.
First provider in Florida to provide NanoKnife® (irreversible electroporation / IRE) radiosurgery. Performed under general anesthesia, our procedure produces very little pain, requires only a brief hospital stay (usually overnight), and tends to cause fewer side effects, giving you more treatment options for previously inoperable tumors.
Treatment targeted specifically to your cancer. We are one of only a few sites in the U.S. to offer a landmark precision medicine clinical trial. Precision medicine defines your cancer by the genes driving it, rather than solely its location and stage. That means your cancer will get a specific therapy based on its gene characteristics.