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Fifteen percent of Americans have a pancreatic cyst, and often they are asymptomatic. Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has partnered with Eon, a health care technology company, to create a first of its kind digital platform to identify, track, follow and monitor patients with pancreatic cysts. This program uses a cloud-based system that automatically alerts patients when scans such as an MRI, CT scan or ultrasound, incidentally discover a pancreatic cyst, so at-risk individuals can be contacted for potential follow-up.

Patients who elect to enroll in the Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance Program are followed by a pancreatic expert who will assess the risk of the cyst becoming cancerous and guide surveillance and treatment. Additionally, a nurse navigator will help these patients schedule the necessary screening, procedures or surgery, if necessary.

Why is Awareness & Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer Important?

Unfortunately, many pancreas cancers are diagnosed at a late, incurable stage, when the cancer has already spread. Pancreatic cysts are one of the only known precursors to pancreatic cancer, and thus offer an opportunity for early intervention before cancer even develops.

As in many other fields of medicine, the practice of preventive medicine such as that with pancreatic cysts offers the best chance to improve the survival from pancreatic cancer.

What is the Pancreas?

  • A gland located deep in the abdomen, between the stomach and the spine.
  • In adults, itis about six inches long and under two inches wide.
  • This important organ produces enzymes that help digest food and secretes hormones—such as insulin—that help regulate metabolism.

Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer

Modifiable Risk factors

  • Smoking
  • Being very overweight
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Heavy alcohol use, which is often linked to chronic pancreatitis, a long-term inflammation of the pancreas
  • Heavy workplace exposure to chemicals used in dry cleaning and metalworking

Non-Modifiable Risk factors

  • Age: almost all pancreatic cancer patients are older than 45.
  • Gender and race: men and Black Americans are slightly more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
  • Family history: Although 90 percent of pancreatic cancers are sporadic, 10 percent do have a genetic component. Patients who have a BRCA mutation, for instance, are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer and require surveillance. Other inherited genetic alterations; PALB2, FAMMM (p16/CDKN2A), familial pancreatitis (PRSS1), HNPCC and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (STK11) also increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Additionally, if a patient has two first-degree family members with pancreatic cancer, there is a 10 percent lifetime risk they will develop pancreatic cancer.

Who Gets Pancreatic Cysts?

Approximately 15 percent of Americans have a pancreatic cyst and may not know it. In some instances, the risk of the cyst becoming cancerous can be as high as 60 percent. These may be managed with surgery. In other instances, the risk of cancer is as low as 2 percent, and should be monitored regularly to ensure no malignant changes develop.

What Happens If a Cyst is Identified?

If a cyst is identified, we recommend enrollment in the Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance Program. Pancreatic cysts can be nuanced and should only be cared for by physicians with expertise in this field. Our physicians will assess the characteristics of the cyst, the remaining pancreas, the patient’s family history and other risk factors. They will order any necessary additional testing such as blood work, MRI, or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to evaluate the type of cyst. Additionally, genetic analysis on the pancreatic cyst fluid can be performed to assess the risk of the cyst. The results from the testing will be used to determine the appropriate treatment course and follow-up.

If Cancer is Found, What Should Patients Look for
When Seeking Care for Pancreatic Cancer Care?

Once pancreatic cancer is identified, it is of utmost importance that the patient be seen by a pancreatic cancer expert and evaluated at a high-volume pancreatic center that provides access to the most advanced treatment options. Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center together with Rutgers Cancer Institute, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, meets these criteria.

Our dedicated multidisciplinary pancreas care team includes surgeons who treat the highest volume of cases in the state of New Jersey. They work in conjunction with a disease management team including medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, pathologists, genetic counselors and dietitians to ensure patients receive the highest level of evidence-based care, including clinical trials.

When is Surgery Appropriate?

This program will help patients to understand the appropriate course of treatment for their cyst. If the patient does need to have surgery, it is important to have surgery at a high-volume pancreatic center with high-volume surgeons, such as at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.

If you have been diagnosed with a pancreatic cyst, contact the Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance Program at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center at 973.322.6652.

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