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Which hospital of excellence?

Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Sep 17 10:19pm | Replies (12)

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@stageivsurvivor

With pancreatic cancer being a challenging cancer to treat, it is best to be treated at either an NCI Center of Excellence or a National Pancreas Foundation Comprehensive Cancer Center, having a high-volume pancreas program. This is where you will find GI oncologists who have a sub-specialty in cancers of the pancreas. While all pancrecancer oncologists are GI oncologists, not all GI oncologists are pancreatic cancer specialists. You want the oncologist who concentrates on treating pancreatic cancer patients whereas the average GI oncologist is treating predominately GI tract cancers of the esophagus, stomach, intestine, colorectal and liver. Pancreatic specialists are a tight-knit community and are more likely to be aware of clinical trials specific to cancers of the pancreas.

In Portland, Oregon, OSHU is an NCI designated center of excellence with a high volume pancreas program.
https://www.ohsu.edu/knight-cancer-institute
A Nationa Pancreas Foundation recommended center is Portland Providence Medical Center. It was the first site to run a successful clinical trial on KRAS G12V using engineered T-cell therapy.
https://www.providence.org/locations/or/cancer-institute/programs/hepatobiliary-and-pancreatic-cancer-program
Not as well known for treating pancreatic cancer but a National Pancreas Foundation recommended center is the University of Colorado
https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/surgery
In Seattle is the NCI Center of Excellence Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
https://www.cancerconsortium.org/
When I went for additional opinions or another center for treatment, I did not ask for a recommendation from the current oncologist but you certainly could do that. If you decide to change treatment location, they will discuss their policies regarding treatment location and frequency if a different protocol is recommended.

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Replies to "With pancreatic cancer being a challenging cancer to treat, it is best to be treated at..."

Thank you for sharing your very helpful knowledge!

We actually went for a "virtual" second opinion last summer at Cleveland Clinic when they couldn't determine the primary cancer here. That was a waste of time as all they did was agree with the doctor here... who had not even requested a CA19-9 because he didn't think this acted like pancreatic cancer. Second opinion didn't ask for that test either. We switched oncologists after they treated Dan with chemo and immunotherapy for lung cancer... which did nothing except made him wait months more for a proper diagnosis. CA19-9 numbers were over 39000 ... and even to someone like us with no medical knowledge... that pointed at the pancreas as a primary.