Pancreatic Cancer Program
2022 Impact Report
WorldClass.BecauseofYou
Thanks to your generosity, the Pancreatic Cancer Program at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute is leading the discovery of new treatments and protocols to improve patient outcomes. Through advanced clinical trials, early detection programs, and a renowned multidisciplinary physician team, your support has impacted countless patients facing the challenging journey of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
AdvancingPancreaticCancerCareatHoag
Pancreatic cancer remains among the most difficult cancers to detect and treat. What’s more, younger individuals are increasingly being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Yet there is reason to hope.
Relentless in its mission to fight this disease, Hoag has assembled an exceptional team of surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, precision medicine experts, molecular imaging and therapy experts, geneticists, clinician investigators, and other researchers who specialize in pancreatic cancer. They work collaboratively to provide comprehensive, personalized treatment for each patient while engaging in research that improves quality of life and leads to new discoveries. These combined efforts have made Hoag the #1 choice of Orange County cancer patients.
BringingtheLatestDevelopmentsinClinical ResearchtoOurCommunity
Access to the most promising new therapies through clinical trials is invaluable to patients with pancreatic cancer, especially those who may have exhausted traditional treatment options. Philanthropy is a key driver of the Hoag Family Cancer Institute’s clinical research capabilities and offerings, supporting the robust infrastructure needed to attract and run these sophisticated trials. Hoag recently recruited Dr. Carlos Becerra, the Margaret Givan Larkin Endowed Chair in Developmental Cancer Therapeutics and a nationally known expert in early phase clinical research and cellular therapy, to lead Hoag’s top-tier research team in securing the most advanced trials testing the latest discoveries coming out of industry and translational science. This means patients with advanced pancreatic cancer can stay close to home and family while accessing the latest cutting-edge treatments.
The Hoag Family Cancer Institute has also become a preferred institution for biotech and pharmaceutical companies to bring their newest therapeutic developments into the clinic setting. In some cases, Hoag is the only or one of only a few centers to offer these early phase trials. Thanks to funding from Hoag Innovators, a group of entrepreneurial donors committed to catalyzing innovation at Hoag through collective giving, Hoag is currently one of two centers in the world with a pioneering cell therapy trial for pancreatic cancer. The phase II trial uses natural killer (NK) cells, which are manipulated to recognize and target cancer cells. When injected into the patient, the NK cells activate the immune system to create antibodies that fight cancer in combination with chemotherapy. While the trial will continue through 2024, results to date show the median overall survival for those in the trial is more than double the typical survival for these advanced cases of pancreatic cancer. With your support, Hoag continues to pursue clinical trials in the most promising areas of research for pancreatic cancer.
53 clinical trials for pancreatic cancer opened at Hoag in the last five years clinical trials
Novel drugs that attack tumor cells
Biomarker discovery and early detection
Molecular imaging and therapy
Immunotherapy
Cell therapy (NK cell, CAR T-cell, and T-cell receptor engineering therapies)
Targeted therapy
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HoagPancreaticCancerClinicalResearch
OntheForefrontofRadiationTherapy withViewRayMRIdian®
A generous gift from Dean and Gerda Koontz enabled Hoag to be the second health care institution in California and 16th in the nation to acquire the ViewRay MRIdian® linear accelerator, which is the most advanced radiation therapy available and a game changer for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Unlike conventional linear accelerators, the ViewRay MRIdian® combines MRI imaging with a linear accelerator, which equips clinicians with real-time, high-resolution images of the patient’s tumor and surrounding areas during radiation therapy. This is especially important for treating tumors in the abdomen, like pancreatic cancer, where the position of the tumor can shift from movement in the GI tract and from the patient’s breathing. The continuous MRI imaging allows radiation oncologists to account for movement in real time to deliver radiation to the target much more precisely while minimizing damage to healthy surrounding areas, which decreases side effects.
Personalizing Treatment with Precision Medicine
Through Hoag’s Precision Medicine Program, patients have access to the most comprehensive molecular profiling DNA and RNA analysis of all 22,000 genes as well as protein analysis to understand the specific alterations driving their cancer, allowing physicians to make treatment decisions personalized to each patient. More than 300 Hoag patients with advanced pancreatic cancer have received comprehensive molecular profiling. As new drugs that target specific gene alterations become FDA approved or as new clinical trials open, Hoag’s team identifies which patients may be eligible to pursue an alternative treatment option through analysis of the program’s comprehensive precision medicine patient database.
Early Detection Programs
According to the National Cancer Institute, 79% of patients are diagnosed in stage III or IV when pancreatic cancer is advanced and treatment options are limited. Your generosity is strengthening Hoag’s commitment to early detection through two key programs:
Anita Erickson Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Program
Individuals at increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer due to family history or an inherited genetic mutation are followed by a multidisciplinary team of experts including a geneticist, genetic counselors, precision medicine experts, gastroenterologists, and GI surgeons. Through regular blood tests and imaging, the goal is to detect pancreatic cancer in the earliest stages.
Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance Program
Cysts in the pancreas are common, and while the majority are benign, some go on to become pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cysts classified as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) are responsible for approximately 2030% of all pancreatic cancers. Under the leadership of Dr. Robert Selby, Hoag’s Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance Program has enrolled more than 2,000 individuals at increased risk for pancreatic cancer due to an identified cyst in their pancreas. Through imaging and cyst fluid analysis, Dr. Selby and his team assess each patient’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Surgery is recommended for patients deemed high risk, while those at low or intermediate risk undergo surveillance with regular imaging and follow up.
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Looking Ahead
In pancreatic cancer science and research, the current pace of discovery is rapid. With continued investment, Hoag’s Pancreatic Cancer Program will remain on the forefront of treatment, clinical research and discovery, and early detection. Looking ahead, Hoag’s pancreatic cancer team will continue to expand its research and clinical trial portfolio in immunotherapy, cell therapy, targeted therapy and other new drugs, and early detection efforts while pursuing the following:
Molecular Imaging & Therapy
Hoag is home to Orange County’s first and only molecular imaging and therapy program, which uses specially designed molecules that contain radiation that target specific cancer cells to detect and treat cancer. Dr. Gary Ulaner, James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging and Therapy and director of Hoag's Molecular Imaging & Therapy Program, is working to open clinical trials at Hoag that use new molecular imaging and therapy agents that specifically target pancreatic cancer.
Inflammasome Research
Dr. Daniel Von Hoff and Dr. Carlos Becerra are teaming up to study the inflammasome in the context of pancreatic cancer. Inflammasomes are protein complexes that induce inflammation in the body, and manipulating or reversing them could allow cell therapies, like NK cells, to be more effective in recognizing and attacking cancer and could even help in preventing pancreatic cancer altogether.
Sun Family Campus Expansion, Irvine
Funded in part by the Boldly Hoag capital campaign, Hoag’s expansion of its Irvine campus, now known as the Sun Family Campus, will create a healing habitat for cancer patients. The expansion is scheduled for completion in 2026 and will feature new, state-of-the-art cancer facilities with advanced technology and research capabilities that will elevate the patient experience, attract the brightest medical minds to Hoag, and push standards of care forward. Building on the latest advances in health care, architecture, hospitality, and customer service, Hoag has thoughtfully designed its new campus with a focus on wellness and healing from open air spaces that connect people with nature to meditation gardens.
The new Cancer & Digestive Health Pavilion will offer patients increased access to a range of specialty services, including a dedicated urgent care for cancer patients.
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Pancreatic Cancer Physician Team
Burton Eisenberg, MD
Grace E. Hoag Executive Medical Director Endowed Chair, Hoag Family Cancer Institute
Carlos Becerra, MD
Margaret Givan Larkin Endowed Chair in Developmental Cancer Therapeutics, Program Director of Cancer Research & Cellular Therapy
Valentina Dalili Shoaie, MD Geneticist
Daniel Von Hoff, MD, FACP Developmental Cancer Therapeutics
Robert Selby, MD Director of Hepatobiliary Surgery
David Braxton, MD Medical Director of Molecular Pathology
Paul Korc, MD Gastroenterologist
Diane Eadie, RN, BSN Oncology Nurse Navigator
Sourat Darabi, PhD, MS Clinical Genomics Scientist
Michael Demeure, MD, MBA, FACS, FACE Otis Healy Family Endowed Chair in Applied Genomics, Director of Precision Medicine
Tara Seery, MD Co-Director of NK Cellular Therapy
Peter Chen, MD Radiation Oncologist
Gary Ulaner, MD, PhD, FACNM James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Director of Molecular Imaging and Therapy
Phuong (Phoenix) Nguyen, MD Medical Director of the Hoag Advanced Endoscopy Center
In Gratitude
On behalf of Hoag, our patients, and their families, thank you for your generous support of Hoag’s Pancreatic Cancer Program. Through your commitment to advancing Hoag’s capacity to combat this complex disease, you are making a transformative impact on the lives of many, both now and in the future.
For more information on how you can support the Pancreatic Cancer Program at Hoag, contact Jennifer Stameson, Executive Director of Development, at Jennifer.Stameson@hoag.org.
anthropy