Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult to treat cancers. However, the surgery is complex and can lead to complications that negatively impact a patient’s quality of life. These challenges are further compounded by the fact that surgical care at different hospitals across the country is not all the same.

Thanks to your support of the Gift of Discovery, Dr Alice Wei has successfully developed a tool to help standardize care and improve post-surgical outcomes for people with pancreatic cancer.

“Pancreatic surgery remains a very challenging problem. Recently, great strides have been made in the treatment of people with pancreatic cancer. It is vital that research is conducted in all areas throughout the cancer journey to ensure patients have the best outcomes,” says Dr Wei.  “Surgery is an incredibly important part of their journey. As surgeons, we want to make sure that surgery is as safe and as effective as possible for the greatest number of patients.” 

Dr Wei’s work is helping people recover better after their surgeries, leading to shorter hospital stays and better quality of life. Her ultimate goal is to expand enhanced recovery into other areas of cancer surgery, and it’s thanks in part to your support of the Gift of Discovery that this work is possible.

“Our program in enhanced recovery following pancreatic surgery has been very successful in the sense that in most places, pancreatic surgery, which is highly complex, is now part of standard clinical care,” says Dr Wei. “We’ve had really terrific response not just from in Canada but also from cancer centres around the world.”