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    Pancreatic Cancer

    949-722-6237

    Pancreatic Cancer Detection Clinic (PCDC)

    Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. In 2025, there were 67,440 new diagnoses and 51,980 deaths. Early disease detection can improve survival rates.

    Pancreatic cancer is considered to be an uncommon cancer. The average person only has a 1.6% lifetime risk of developing it, but if someone has a significant family history of pancreatic cancer or a known mutation in a pancreatic cancer susceptibility gene, their risk is likely higher.

    As the first in Southern California and one of only a few centers in the U.S., Hoag Family Cancer Institute offers an early detection program to assess individuals at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this program is to improve the outcomes for individuals at risk for pancreatic cancer, working to detect early-stage cancer through labs, imaging, and diagnostic testing. As part of the program, individuals will have the option of submitting their de-identified information to be part of a registry, shared by similar organizations in the nation (https://precedestudy.org/). This database will help future clinicians to better understand this complex disease and how to effectively treat and manage it.

    Hoag’s Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Clinic is led by a multidisciplinary team of specialists including a nurse practitioner, genetic counselors, gastroenterologists and pancreatic surgeons. Together, this team supports all aspects of care, collaborating with other physician specialists, to ensure an individual’s risk is accurately assessed and managed.

    Do I qualify?

    Since pancreatic cancer is a rare cancer, Hoag’s PCDC aims to enroll and screen those at increased risk for pancreatic cancer at this time. This includes individuals with a strong family history of pancreatic cancer, or those with mutations in certain genes. Patients eligible for this program are those with confirmed germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in a pancreatic cancer gene (e.g. ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CDKN2A, PALB2, STK11, etc.). Individuals with variants of unknown/uncertain significance in these genes do not qualify. Individuals can also qualify for Hoag’s PCDC based on family history (no gene mutation required) in any of the following ways:

    • 1 first degree relative with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) diagnosed at or before age 45

    • 2 relatives (any relation) on the same side of the family with PDAC diagnosed at any age

    Screening in this program begins at age 50 unless the individual has a CDKN2A mutation (start at age 40), a STK11 mutation (start at age 35), or has a relative who was diagnosed with PDAC at a young age (start 10 years younger than the earliest PDAC in the family). Individuals younger than 50 who do not meet these exceptions do not qualify at this time but will qualify at age 50.

    What happens in the program?

    The clinic runs at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute in Newport Beach. Someone enrolled in the program can expect annual office visits with our nurse practitioner. The nurse practitioner will enter appropriate orders (blood work, abdominal MRI, endoscopic ultrasound, etc.) for the individual to complete after the visit. The individual will also meet with a genetic counselor during their office visit every other year to review their family history and any new genetic information.

    If you have any questions, would like to determine whether or not you are eligible, or want to schedule an initial appointment, please contact the Hoag’s Pancreatic Cancer Detection Clinic at 949-764-7475.

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