Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer is a generic term and some fundamental distinctions must be made. Some tumours are very aggressive, but other types of pancreatic tumours are less so, or are completely benign. In other cases, an atypical picture of chronic pancreatitis can be confused with a tumour. To simplify the classification of pancreatic tumours, they can be divided into three major categories: adenocarcinoma, endocrine tumours and cystic tumours. The mainstay for an adequate treatment is a correct diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach. 

The Pancreas Center of Ospedale San Raffaele can provide a comprehensive evaluation of all suspected tumours of the pancreas or periampullary region, with state-of-the-art diagnostic tools (EndoscopicUltraSonography with biopsy, CT-scan or MRI) to define the adequate therapeutic strategy with a multidisciplinary approach in a single day. The Gastrointestinal Endoscopy section of the Pancreatic Department has one of the highest volumes in Europe of EndoscopicUltraSonography for pancreatic diseases, with a high diagnostic accuracy of pancreatic biopsies due to the rapid-on-site evaluation (ROSE) procedure. In patients with locally advanced, non-metastatic pancreatic cancer, that cannot be candidate to surgery, a minimally invasive local treatment of pancreatic cancer through Endoscopic Ultrasonography can be provided (EUS-guided cryothermal ablation). 

The San Raffaele’s Pancreas Surgery Department is one of the first in Europe for the number of operations and low mortality with 1,000 pancreatic resections performed in past three years which guarantees the patients a high level of specialization and competence of the surgical team.