But it is more survivable now than it used to be. Dr. Mark Truty, a Mayo Clinic cancer surgeon, says that’s due in part to advances in the approach to treating the cancer. You see, patients who can have surgery for their pancreatic cancer live longer than those who cannot. Unfortunately, in the past, surgery wasn’t an option for most patients, but with better chemotherapy came dramatic changes. Now, more patients are considered candidates for curative surgery.

That includes patients who may have been considered inoperable elsewhere due to complex tumors involving blood vessels. Mayo Clinic is the first and only center that routinely uses positron emission tomography, or PET, scans to help determine if the chemotherapy has been effective.

The primary goal for any patient with pancreatic cancer is to extend their life and maintain or improve their quality of life. Advances like this are offering patients hope.
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