Surgical Oncology
Pancreatic Cancer Surgery
Tumors in the pancreas may result from pancreatic cancer or from cancers of the endocrine system.
Our surgical oncologists also remove malignant tumors of the pancreas as part of an interdisciplinary approach to treat pancreatic cancer.
Read more about pancreatic cancer in our health library.
Multidisciplinary Approach to Pancreatic Cancer Treatment at Wake Forest
Your team of pancreatic cancer specialists at Wake Forest routinely approaches your treatment in a multidisciplinary fashion. Other specialists, such as radiation oncologists or medical oncologists, will work with your surgeon to create a comprehensive treatment plan that may include surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
Pancreatic Cancer Surgery
Our surgical oncologists are experts in treating pancreatic surgery. Using a variety of techniques, our surgeons will discuss the best approach to treating your pancreatic tumors. The pancreatic cancer surgeries include:
- Distal pancreatectomy: your surgeon removes the benign or malignant tumors in the body or tail of the pancreas; sometimes the spleen is removed.
- Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy: during this minimally invasive procedure, your surgeons will remove the benign or malignant tumors in the body or tail of the pancreas. It is performed laparoscopically, meaning the procedure is performed using smaller incisions.
- Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure): this is a more complex procedure, in which the diseased portion of your pancreas is removed with some of the surrounding structures.
- Total pancreatectomy: this is when your entire pancreas is removed. This surgery is performed when the cancer is very advanced.
Advanced Research for Pancreatic Cancer in North Carolina
Research is a critical part of the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Our physicians participate in multiple clinical trials to investigate better methods of treating cancer, including surgical and medical treatments. We will inform you about the clinical trials we have available, all the time respecting that the final decision is yours on whether to participate.