Thank you for visiting the new Pancreas.org site. Topics of interest to patients, families and students are listed below. See the Navigation Bar at the top for more topics.
New! –> “AGA-PancreasFest Joint Symposium on Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency” from PancreasFest 2021 (check back)
“International Consensus Statements on Early Chronic Pancreatitis” from PancreasFest 2018 plus.. (Click here)
“Mechanism, assessment and management of pain in chronic pancreatitis: Recommendations of a multidisciplinary study group“. Results of a three year study of pancreatitis pain published in 2016. (Click here)
“Detection, evaluation and treatment of diabetes mellitus in chronic pancreatitis: Recommendations from PancreasFest 2012“. These specifically address issues surrounding when and how to screen for diabetes, including Type 3c (pancreatogenic diabetes).(Click here for Abstract).
“Total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplantation in chronic pancreatitis: Recommendations from PancreasFest” These recommendations guid physicians in the evaluation and management of patients before, and after TPIAT. Click here for Abstract”
Latest Podcast on Precision Medicine – – – with discussion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine.
Prof Whitcomb interviewed by Praveen Suthrum for The Scope Forward Show.
CME: The future of Chronic Pancreatitis (VuMedi)
What if Chronic Pancreatitis could be PREVENTED?
This would represent one of the great advances in medicine – driven by insights from precision medicine.
NEW. Link to a video of Prof. Whitcomb’s presentation to the Pennsylvania Society of Gastroenterology, September 2023 on “Prevention of Chronic Pancreatitis in the Modern Era” <– click the link to view in a new window.
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI).
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is a major complication of pancreatic disease, and may go undetected leading to many clinical problems.
Other diseases have similar signs and symptoms (such as Celiac Disease) that also need to be considered (e.g. SNaP-Shot, below)
Two important publications on EPI by Prof. Whitcomb et al are now available – Open Access.
–> AGA Clinical Practice Update on the Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Management of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency: Expert Review. D. C. Whitcomb, A. M. Buchner and C. E. Forsmark. Gastroenterology 2023 (Click here)
–> AGA-PancreasFest Joint Symposium on Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency D. Whitcomb, S. Duggan, R. Martindale, M. Lowe, V. Stallings, D. Conwell, et al. Gastro Hep Advances 2023 Vol. 2 Issue 3 Pages 395-411 (Click here)
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Pancreas SNaP-Shot.
How to read a SNaP-Shot pancreatitis Report:
A brief introduction to the layout and interpretation of one of the new SNaP-Shot Reports. This was recorded for healthcare professionals, but patients may also find it informative.
Overview of the SNaP-Shot Tools.
Ariel Precision Medicine (APM) has launched a revolutionary new tool for healthcare providers (HCP) and patients called SNaP-Shot. This required a new approach to the early diagnosis and treatment of chronic and complex disorders using a customized, high-density genotyping array, linked with disease models and clinical decision support (CDS) information. The video above gives Prof. Whitcomb’s view of the new product. (Prof. Whitcomb is an independent consultant whose views and opinions do not represent APM, the University of Pittsburgh or UPMC. (c) SMART-MD publishing LLC)
“Is pancreatitis in your genes?”
Mission:Cure held a webinar that was join by hundreds of patients and healthcare workers. The speakers were Professor David Whitcomb MD PhD (starting at 5:26 min) and Mark Haupt MD (starting at 30:10 min) from Ariel Precision Medicine, a health information technology company that integrates extensive genetic, environmental, biomarker and other data into a Clinical Report – the FIRST precision medicine offering for pancreatic diseases. To view the Webinar click (here)
The talks focus on why our approach to pancreatitis must change, and how to use genetic information without being a genetics expert! The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Consider passing it on as appropriate. The PancreasDx test is now available through ARIEL.
PancreasFest 2024 dates have been set for July 25-26, 2023 in Cincinnati Ohio. The program is being organized by the Collaborative Alliance for Pancreatic Education and Research (CAPER).
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PancreasClub 2024 will immediately follow PancreasFest in the same venue! Welcome surgeons!!! https://www.pancreasclub.com/
CAPER has grown to an international organization dedicated to bringing young physicians and scientists into the community, to develop and promote them, and to provide educational resources to the world.
This year CAPER will be assuming the leadership for PancreasFest. Prov. Whitcomb says “EXCELLENT”
The two parts of the definition include the “essence” and the “characteristics”
Essence – “Chronic pancreatitis is a pathologic fibro-inflammatory syndrome of the pancreas in individuals with genetic, environmental and/or other risk factors who develop persistent pathologic responses to parenchymal injury or stress”.
Characteristics – “Common features of established and advanced CP include pancreatic atrophy, fibrosis, pain syndromes, duct distortion and strictures, calcifications, pancreatic exocrine dysfunction, pancreatic endocrine dysfunction and dysplasia.”
The publication of the article in Pancreatology (the official journal of the International Association of Pancreatology) has triggered international debated and general acceptance (see below).
A video presentation of the concepts is provided here, with discussion on the official Pancreatology web site (http://www.pancreatology.net/content/new-definition-chronic-pancreatitis).
CME Programs on Pancreatic Diseases
Pancreatitis Genetic Variant – Website.
A mutation web site (https://pancreasgenetics.org/) provides information on the functional consequence of various pancreatitis genes such as PRSS1, SPINK1 etc. The site is maintained by Prof. Miklos Sahin-Toth MD PhD and is currently being rebuilt.
PEaRL .:. Pancreatitis Education and Research Letter
PEaRL news letter page – See “Patient Information” link above
