Category Archives: liver/ gallbladder/ pancreas

Navigating through a cancer diagnosis

Posted on December 13, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH While each person’s cancer journey is unique, patients are likely to encounter similar  services and treatment options along the way. Holly Briere, a nurse navigator specializing in cancers of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas, guides us through what the experience … Continue reading →

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Personal plan: Her team crafted the best way to fight her pancreatic cancer

Posted on December 12, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH A tumor quietly growing in Gail Brehm’s pancreas invaded her stomach and surrounding soft tissues. Eventually the mass began pressing on a nerve. Brehm, 63, a retired postal worker in Auburn, felt that pain in her lower … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, genetics, health care, HealthLink on Air, illness, liver/ gallbladder/ pancreas, medical imaging/radiology, pancreas/liver/gallbladder/bile ducts, patient story, surgery | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Renewed lives: Pancreas transplants mean patients with diabetes can skip insulin injections

Posted on October 20, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH Patrick Nolan, 52, remembers spending his 11th birthday at Upstate University Hospital with a new diagnosis of diabetes. The Syracuse native lived with the disease for 41 years, routinely checking his blood sugar and injecting insulin up … Continue reading →

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Instead of a biopsy: Scientists seek better, noninvasive diagnostic tool to detect liver cancer early

Posted on August 29, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH One of the reasons liver cancer is so deadly is that people rarely discover the disease at an early stage, when it’s treatable. What might help would be a screening test, similar to the one that exists … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, health care, illness, liver/ gallbladder/ pancreas, medical imaging/radiology, pancreas/liver/gallbladder/bile ducts, research

Can a pancreas transplant help someone with severe diabetes?

Posted on July 8, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH Upstate doctors are now offering a pancreas transplant option for some patients with diabetes mellitus, the most common cause of kidney failure. “Rather than waiting until the kidney fails, you may want to be proactive and go … Continue reading →

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‘Secondary’ cancer: See a surgeon before starting chemotherapy for ‘liver mets’

Posted on June 8, 2016 by

BY AMBER SMITH Medical progress in the last decade or so has improved the survival chances for people whose colorectal cancer has spread to the liver. Today, surgery may provide a cure – depending on the steps a patient takes … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, digestive/gastrointestinal, health care, HealthLink on Air, illness, liver/ gallbladder/ pancreas, pancreas/liver/gallbladder/bile ducts, surgery | Tagged , , , , , , ,

A trusted guide through cancer treatment: the nurse navigator

Posted on May 23, 2016 by

BY JIM HOWE Cancer patients can feel overwhelmed as they face not just their disease, but a bewildering array of appointments, treatments and insurance forms. Many are looking for one person who can explain the next procedure, remind them of … Continue reading →

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Specialized surgeons treat cancers, plus other diseases of liver, gallbladder, pancreas

Posted on February 17, 2016 by

Surgeons with a hepatobiliary specialization treat some of the deadliest cancers. “Hepato” relates to the liver, and “biliary” refers to the gallbladder and bile ducts. But cancers are not the only problems that require such a surgeon’s expertise. Upstate‘s Dilip … Continue reading →

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Jimmy Carter’s cancer: Melanomas can appear throughout the body

Posted on January 28, 2016 by

Former President Jimmy Carter’s skin cancer diagnosis began the way it does for so many others facing the disease. A spot discovered on his liver turned out to be melanoma. Then when doctors ordered an imaging scan, they found four … Continue reading →

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New transplant surgery chief plans pancreas, islet transplants

Posted on December 28, 2015 by

Upstate’s new transplant surgery chief, Rainer Gruessner, MD, is accepting patients for pancreas transplants he expects to offer in the near future. Already, Upstate University Hospital is known for kidney transplant expertise, and Gruessner says a good number of people … Continue reading →

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