“Any Patient, Any Time”

Experience — and compassion — counts when treating pancreatic cancer

In addition to the fear and uncertainty that come with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, patients have to cope with another burden — deciding where to go for treatment. Experience is the most important factor to consider, because treating pancreatic cancer is not a job for amateurs. Diane Simeone, M.D., surgical director of the U-M Cancer Center’s Multidisciplinary Pancreatic Tumor Clinic, recommends going to a comprehensive cancer center with surgeons, oncologists and gastroenterologists who specialize in caring for people with the disease.

“If you focus on one disease, you understand all aspects of it in greater detail and have a deeper understanding of the nuances,” says Simeone. “If an operation is required, it will be performed by a surgeon who has done the same procedure many times before.”

There is no one-size-fits-all treatment protocol for pancreatic cancer. At the Pancreatic Tumor Clinic, a multidisciplinary team of experts — including surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists, researchers and a social worker — work together to design an individualized treatment plan based on the stage of the tumor and each patient’s situation.

The clinic saw 575 new patients during 2011 and there were more than 2,000 visits from patients who were either in treatment or seeking a second opinion. The clinic treats patients with pancreatitis, cystic tumors and other pancreatic diseases, in addition to cancer.

“It’s very different from the old model where a surgeon would see a patient to decide if he or she could operate,” says Mark Zalupski, M.D., a professor of internal medicine and medical director of the U-M’s Pancreatic Tumor Clinic. “If the answer was no, the patient was just cast adrift to find another doctor.

“It’s not uncommon for us to see a patient who had a CT scan elsewhere months ago, but still doesn’t have a diagnosis or treatment plan,” Zalupski adds. “When we see a patient, we often have a CT scan done the same day, schedule a biopsy, and then see that patient within a week to 10 days to present a treatment plan.”

“Advanced pancreatic cancer is also associated with many symptoms, which makes patient care more difficult,” Zalupski says. “Pain, difficulty eating and drinking, new onset diabetes and blood clots are very common. These symptoms tend to persist and progress until effective therapy is initiated. This is another reason to be treated at an institution with a team approach and experience in pancreatic cancer.”

And there’s one last and most important reason. Even after U-M oncologists have exhausted every option only to find that nothing is working, pancreatic cancer patients are never abandoned by their doctors. “They are our patients,” Simeone says firmly. “We do everything we can to prolong their lives with the highest quality of life possible. We will see any patient any time and follow them as long as they want to be followed.” —SP

Believing in Hope