Doctors at UVA Health are using a new method to treat pancreatic cysts, which are collections of fluid that form in the pancreas. Some cysts can eventually become cancerous, and typically need surgery to remove.
The treatment, called endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic cyst chemoablation, uses a small camera inside the stomach to look at the cyst. This gives doctors a better look at the cyst to detect cancer.
“Endoscopic ultrasound-guided chemotherapy ablation offers a very nice alternative for those patients because it allows them to avoid a really major operation.”
Dr. Ross Burlein, gastroenterologist at Uva Health
If the cyst is precancerous, doctors can inject it with chemotherapy to remotely treat it during the procedure.
Around 25% of people over the age of 65 will develop pancreatic cysts, and pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
