UMass Pancreas Program

Excellence in Pancreatic Cancer Care and Research

At the University of Massachusetts Medical School, we have established the University of Massachusetts Pancreas Program. This multidisciplinary group seeks to improve pancreatic cancer treatment in the Northeast by integrating groundbreaking basic science and patient-oriented research with improved access to innovative clinical trials and cutting-edge therapies, resulting in better patient care and outcomes. Clinical disciplines include surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology/radiology, gastroenterology, psychology, palliative care, oncology nursing and clinical nutrition.

Traditionally, academic medicine has been conducted in “silos,” with minimal contact between individuals with different areas of expertise. The UMass Pancreas Program is a collective spirit of cross-fertilization and novel collaboration. This cooperative approach is also evident in our strong ties with the community through the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance, a local all volunteer organization comprised of pancreatic cancer patients and families. We value the open lines of communication that we share with all of our partners in the community, lab and clinic because it advances the care of our pancreatic cancer patients. 

Jennifer Tseng, MD, MPH, is the Director of the Surgical Outcomes Analysis & Research Group. Her laboratory is devoted to optimizing outcomes and improving survival and quality of life in patients with or at risk for pancreatic cancer. The basic science component of the UMass Pancreas Program is based at the Lazare Research Building at the University of Massachusetts Medical School with members including Dario Altieri, MD, Chair of Cancer Biology, and a world-famous investigator in the basic biology of cancer, and Brian Lewis, PhD, whose lab has generated novel animal models for pancreatic cancer and explores the roles of signaling pathways in disease pathogenesis. Alan Rosmarin, MD, Chief of Hematology/Oncology, has earmarked a significant portion of his resources to the recruitment of pancreatic cancer specialists. Thomas (TJ) Fitzgerald, MD, Chief of Radiation Oncology, has an ongoing commitment to innovations in pancreatic cancer treatment and to developing technology- and systems-based analyses to improve outcomes for treatment. Giles Whalen, MD, Chief of Surgical Oncology, is Chair of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Quality of Life Committee and has major research interests in tumor-linked databases and in improving quality of life for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer strikes individuals at the prime of life, robbing patients, their families, and society. Despite the tremendous strides in medical research over the last decades, pancreatic cancer outcomes remain dismal. As a vibrant, innovative pancreatic cancer center, located at the flagship medical school of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we at the UMass Pancreas Program have a mission to improve pancreatic cancer care for all patients.