Welcome to the University of Washington Pancreatic Cancer Care website. Cancers of the pancreas are responsible for more than 30,000 deaths in the United States yearly. These cancers could be curable if diagnosed early, if innovative treatments are used, and if researchers uncover causes for the disease. Here at the University of Washington, along with experts and specialists from the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, we are dedicated to developing more accurate methods of early diagnosis and curative treatment of pancreatic cancers. We support a multi-dimensional approach to cancer research and diagnosis and to the education of patients and health care professionals. Learn more about our mission.

A Pancreatic Cancer Surveillance study on the leading-edge of familial pancreatic cancer research, led by Dr. Teresa Brentnall and her nationwide team of collaborators, has attracted its share of attention throughout a ten-year span. The product of this groundbreaking research is the discovery of a genetic cause of familial pancreatic cancer...
Learn More | Official Press Release | Learn More About Genetic Testing
PLoS-Medicine Article | USA Today Article | Seattle Times Article
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Article

Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer? This disease has a profound effect on individual and family quality of life. Patient education is vitally important. This website is intended to help you learn and understand your options, in order for you to discuss them with your medical care teams and loved ones.

General Information:
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Unfortunately, because of the location of the pancreas, most patients do not develop symptoms until the disease is advanced. Learn more about the risk factors and prevention of pancreatic cancer, as well as information about treatment and surgery.

The Pancreas & Pancreatic Cancer:
The pancreas is an organ deep within the body. It is located in the abdomen, right in front of the spine. Learn more about the pancreas and how pancreatic cancer forms, including more information about symptoms and methods of diagnosis.

Familial Pancreatic Cancer:
As physicians and patients become more aware of the importance of hereditary cancer syndromes, more patients are surfacing who have multiple family members with pancreatic cancer. Learn more about familial pancreatic cancer, including who is at risk.

The Pancreatic Cancer Clinic:
Physicians from the University of Washington and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) are working together to provide state-of-the-art care for patients with pancreatic cancer and their families. Learn more about our pancreatic cancer clinic.

Your Multi-Disciplinary Team:
We bring together an outstanding team of physicians and scientists to provide state-of-the-art evaluation, treatment and follow-up care to patients with pancreatic cancers or their precursors. Learn more about our specialists and meet your multi-disciplinary team.

On-Going Research:
Our researchers are keeping pace with and, in fact, advancing the frontiers of clinical care. The genes that can cause pancreatic cancer are being sought. Learn more about our current research programs.

Surveillance Program:
A team of doctors at the UW has developed a multi-disciplinary
surveillance program for the early detection of pancreatic cancer and its precursors in patients with a familial predisposition for pancreatic cancer.