A Beacon of Hope in the Fight Against Pancreatic Cancer

By Todd Aguilera, M.D., Ph.D.

Picture yourself embarking on a challenging mountain climbing expedition despite having no prior experience. You’re not alone; a dedicated team of experts stands ready to assist. Each specialist excels in their respective fields, from selecting the right gear to offering guidance on food, water, clothing, and safety tools. As the journey unfolds, these experts prove indispensable, saving your life when needed most. This scenario mirrors the essence of the UT Southwestern Interdisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Program, where whole-person-centered care takes precedence.

Our Pancreatic Cancer Program’s vision is to build a future where all patients have improved survival, are empowered to overcome adversity, achieve the highest quality of life, and are fully supported to thrive alongside their providers.

Pancreatic cancer presents a formidable challenge. Even tripling the current five-year survival rate leaves substantial progress to be made. The key to achieving this goal is our program’s interdisciplinary culture. Established in 2016, our program has already evolved and spurred advancements that have been further accelerated by our integration into the Canopy Cancer Collective in 2021. The nation’s first learning health network in adult oncology, Canopy unites 14 leading centers from across the country, offering a platform for sharing best practices, committing to quality improvements, and allowing data to lead the way.

Canopy’s support for the UTSW team has evinced in various ways, including a generous $500,000 grant that is bolstering our efforts. A pivotal step has been the recruitment of our first program-facing project manager, Minda Hill, B.S.N., RN, OCN, previously a nurse navigator for the program. Todd Aguilera, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and Co-Director of the program, notes, “With this support, we’ve been empowered to work together, optimize, and transform care thanks to Canopy’s unwavering commitment. We’ve fostered an environment where our team can see our vision materialize.”

Earlier this year, the team invested four months in crafting a strategic road map for the next five years, complete with a mission and vision statement and identification of four differentiators they believe sets UT Southwestern apart. This road map is serving as the program’s guiding light throughout this critical journey.

We envision a future where every patient receives comprehensive care starting at diagnosis. Our goal is to ensure that every patient feels at the center of their care, with a sphere of support that accompanies them throughout their journey with pancreatic cancer, referred to as “four-dimensional care.” Hill emphasizes, “If we can achieve this state of seamless 4D care, we may be surprised by the substantial impact it has on survival rates.”

As part of the planning, Hill assembled an advisory team made up of caregivers and patients to provide invaluable perspectives about the success of the care they received. Russ Jackson, whose wife, Terry, underwent extensive treatment, commended the program’s personal touch, saying, “Dr. Aguilera took me back to see the linear accelerators where my wife would be treated. It helped alleviate much of anxiety for her and me. That’s what makes UTSW different – they reach out and have that personal touch that other institutions don’t quite have.”

Should the UTSW and Canopy teams collectively achieve their vision of revolutionized care, they will demonstrate the transformative power of interdisciplinary care, offering hope to patients with a disease that is desperately in need of a breakthrough. Pancreatic cancer is a staunch adversary, but UTSW’s Interdisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Program is determined to rewrite the narrative for those facing this diagnosis. As with the hypothetical mountain climbing journey where different experts handle various aspects of the expedition, our program strives to assemble a dedicated team of specialists to offer expert guidance for the challenge and to collaborate seamlessly to ensure the best possible care for every patient.