In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Kerry McKean Kelly, founder of Kelly's Heroes, about the power of collaboration in pancreatic cancer advocacy.

Kerry shares her personal journey after losing her husband Steve to stage IV pancreatic cancer and how she channeled her grief into global advocacy work. As outgoing chair of the World Pancreatic Cancer (WPCC) Day Committee, Kerry discusses the importance of clinical trial awareness, how the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition unites 100+ organizations worldwide, why patient empowerment matters across all healthcare systems, and the progress being made in pancreatic cancer survival rates.

"We are stronger together than we are alone." - Kerry McKean Kelly

Resources mentioned:

- Kelly's Heroes: http://www.kellysheroes.ngo/

- World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition: www.hellopancreas.com

- PanCAN: www.pancan.org

- Let's Win: www.letswinpc.org

Thank you to our sponsor, Revolution Medicines.

For more information and support, visit letswinpc.org and pancan.org.

Join host Alisyn Camerota as she welcomes Dr. Asaf Maoz from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to explore the science behind genetic mutations in pancreatic cancer. Building on Episode 9's discussion of the genetic testing journey, this episode dives into hereditary risk and the specific types of mutations patients and families may encounter.

Dr. Maoz, an attending physician in the Division of Genetics and Prevention and faculty member at Harvard Medical School, explains why genetic testing is now the standard of care, identifies the most common hereditary mutations linked to pancreatic cancer, and discusses what results mean for patients and their families — including when no actionable mutations are found. Learn about the critical role of family history in understanding pancreatic cancer risk.

Join host Alisyn Camerota as she welcomes Jessica Everett, MS, CGC, Senior Research Strategy Director at UC San Diego's Moores Cancer Center, to discuss the critical role of genetic testing in pancreatic cancer. Since becoming part of the standard of care in 2018, genetic testing is now recommended for all pancreatic cancer patients.

Jessica, a genetic counselor specializing in pancreatic cancer, explains why patients should get tested, how genetic counselors guide patients through the testing process, and addresses common fears and misconceptions. Learn how to navigate conversations with family members about inherited risk and what genetic test results mean for relatives.

In Episode 8 we continue our discussion of pancreatic cancer surgery. Host Alisyn Camerota welcomes Dr. Nipun Merchant, Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Miami, Florida, to learn more about the evolution of surgical techniques for pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Merchant explains the differences between open surgery, minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures, and robotic surgery, and shares how surgeons determine the best approach for each patient and tumor. He also outlines the additional surgeries that may be part of comprehensive pancreatic cancer treatment.

Links:

Let's Win Pancreatic Cancer

PanCAN

PanCAN Patient Services

Understanding Distal Pancreatectomy

Whipple Procedure

Join host Alisyn Camerota as she sits down with Dr. Niraj Gusani, a board-certified surgical oncologist at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Florida, to discuss the role of surgery in pancreatic cancer treatment. In this episode, we learn how doctors determine if a patient is a candidate for curative surgery, the impact of tumor location on surgical approach, and dive deep into the two main procedures: the Whipple procedure for tumors in the head of the pancreas and distal pancreatectomy for tumors in the tail. Dr. Gusani also explains why many patients receive chemotherapy before surgery and what patients can expect during recovery.

Learn More:

Let's Win Pancreatic Cancer

PanCAN

PanCAN's Patient Services

The Anatomy of a Whipple Procedure

Understanding Distal Pancreatectomy

How do doctors decide when to use standard chemotherapy, explore immunotherapy, or recommend a clinical trial? In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Dr. Andrew Hendifar about how tumor sequencing, genetic testing, and emerging KRAS-targeted therapies are reshaping pancreatic cancer care. They discuss the challenges patients face navigating clinical trials, why timing and advocacy are critical, and why — despite the daunting diagnosis — there’s more reason for hope today than ever before.

Dr. Andrew Hendifar heads the Gastrointestinal Disease Research Group and founded their Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He works with SWOG and the NIH’s Neuroendocrine Tumor Task Force., Dr. Hendifar is a member of PanCAN’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Board.

Learn more about how clinical trials work on the Let’s Win What Is a Clinical Trial? Page or PanCAN’s Clinical Trials page.

You can explore available clinical trials through the Let’s Win’s Trial Finder or the PanCAN Clinical Trial Finder.

For a personalized search, PanCAN’s Patient Services is also here to help.

When facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, patients and families are often met with difficult choices. In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota speaks with Dr. Michael Pishvaian about what “standard of care” really means, the role of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and why clinical trials remain such a critical -- yet underutilized -- option. Together, they unpack the treatment options and barriers to clinical trials.

Dr. Michael Pishvaian is the director of Gastrointestinal, Developmental Therapeutics, and Clinical Research Programs for the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in the Greater Washington D.C. area and an associate professor at the School of Medicine. He is the Vice Chair of PanCAN’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Board and a member of the Let’s Win Scientific Advisory Board.

For more information about treatments visit Let’s Win’s Treatment Options section and PanCAN’s Pancreatic Cancer Treatment page. PanCAN’s Patient Services can also provide free, personalized information about treatments.

Sponsored by Revolution Medicines.

Who should be screened for pancreatic cancer, and when should it start?

In this episode of PancChat, host Alisyn Camerota speaks with leading experts Dr. Michael Goggins (Johns Hopkins) and Dr. Anirban Maitra (MD Anderson / NYU Langone) about identifying higher-risk individuals and creating personalized surveillance plans.

From genetic mutations like BRCA to family history, pancreatic cysts, and new-onset diabetes — the doctors break down what puts someone at increased risk — and how that translates into screening recommendations. They discuss the importance of working with specialized centers, the role of annual MRIs and endoscopic ultrasounds, and why starting surveillance around age 50 (or earlier for some genetic conditions) can be potentially life-saving.

Whether you have a family history, carry a genetic mutation, or are navigating risk assessment for yourself or a loved one, this episode offers expert guidance to help you make informed decisions about pancreatic cancer surveillance.

Don’t forget to follow PancChat to get new episodes — delivered twice a month — right in your podcast feed. Available on all major platforms, wherever you get your podcasts.

Resources:

letswinpc.org

pancan.org