Saint Barnabas Pioneers New Way Of Treating Pancreatic Cysts

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston has pioneered new technology that may make a big difference in the lives of patients with pancreatic cysts, hospital administrators say.

Recently, the hospital announced that it created “one of the first cloud-based data management platforms in the country” that can identify, track, follow and monitor patients with pancreatic cysts.

Administrators said:

“Through a partnership with Eon, a healthcare technology company, Saint Barnabas’ Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance Program identifies patients when incidental scans, such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography scan (CT) or ultrasound, detect pancreatic cysts, and at-risk people are then contacted through a nurse navigator for potential follow-up.”

Hospital officials added:

“Conventional surveillance programs rely on an outdated method of manual data input and tracking that is not optimized to address patient needs in an urgent and consistent manner. This new cloud-based program automatically signals high-risk individuals ensuring prompt and informed care. Additionally, the platform inputs a cyst's individual features, including its size, pancreatic duct dilation and nodularity, into an algorithm, which tells doctors objectively if there is a risk of malignancy over time. Once a patient elects to enroll in the program, a nurse navigator will assist with scheduling the necessary screening, procedures or surgery.”

To date, the program has identified 136 patients, Saint Barnabas administrators said earlier this month.

“I believe this technology-based approach will forever change the way we monitor and treat patients with pancreatic cysts and tumors,” said Russell Langan, chief of surgical oncology and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery at Saint Barnabas.

“Because pancreatic surgery carries morbidity and a potential mortality rate, we want to ensure patients aren't undergoing unnecessary surgery,” Langan explained. “However, when a pancreatic cyst does require surgery, we want to operate at the most opportune time.”

Hospital administrators continued:

“Following the identification of a pancreatic cyst, a comprehensive team of surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, pathologists and geneticists conducts a weekly review of patient cases to determine the best course of treatment. This approach is especially important as a majority of pancreatic cysts are precancerous, making it essential that the entire team weighs the risks of surgical intervention versus continued monitoring or another course of action. About 90 percent of cysts do not need interventions, such as surgery, with some patients requiring only additional screening and/or an endoscopy and a biopsy of the fluid. However, approximately 10 percent of pancreatic cysts require more drastic measures.”

“This is preventative medicine at its best,” Langan said. “By capturing patients who have a risk of developing pancreatic cancer in their lifetime, we can monitor these patients and determine whether medical intervention is necessary.”

“Through our unique multidisciplinary approach and partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, we are able to assess patients on a case-by-case basis to ensure we're delivering the highest quality of care,” Langan added.

What are pancreatic cysts? According to Saint Barnabas officials:

“The pancreas is an organ in the abdomen that lies behind the lower part of the stomach. The pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate metabolism. Approximately 15 percent of Americans are believed to have a pancreatic cyst, and unlike other cysts such as those on the ovaries, liver or kidneys, pancreatic cysts carry the potential to increase the patient's risk for pancreatic cancer. The risk of the cyst becoming cancerous can be as high as 60 percent and as low as 2 percent. Pancreatic cancer often has a poor outlook, as it typically grows and spreads rapidly and is usually detected in its later stages.”

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