Frederick Health First in the Nation to Offer New FDA-Approved Treatment for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Frederick Health is the first healthcare system in the United States to offer a newly FDA-approved treatment for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The treatment involves Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy and is the first FDA-approved advancement for locally advanced pancreatic cancer in over 30 years. 

“This is a life-extending treatment for a state of cancer where treatment options have historically been extremely limited,” said Dr. Saro Sarkisian, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist at Frederick Health. He was the first physician in the United States to be certified to treat pancreatic cancer patients with TTFields, and possesses the most clinical experience in the Frederick, Montgomery, and Washington counties of Maryland treating non-small cell lung cancer with TTFields. 

“With this innovation, Frederick Health can now provide a new way to help extend life for our pancreatic cancer patients without adding systemic side effects to give the best quality of life possible.” 

Tumor Treating Fields therapy (TTFields) is a non-invasive, device-based treatment that uses low-intensity electrical fields to interfere with cancer cell division. For locally advanced pancreatic cancer, it is used in combination with chemotherapy (gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel) and was shown to extend overall survival of patients without adding systemic side effects.  

Prescribing physicians have the ability to monitor treatment progress remotely, allowing patients with advanced pancreatic cancer to receive the therapy from the comfort of their own home. 

Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage because early symptoms are difficult to detect as there is currently no standard screening for this disease. Patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer typically cannot have the cancer surgically removed and must rely on aggressive chemotherapy. The addition of non-invasive therapy with little-to-no side effects is a key benefit for those patients, prolonging quality of life.  

“This approval marks a defining and landmark moment for patients with pancreatic cancer,” Dr. Sarkisian said. “It allows us to expand care options without increasing the burden of treatment. We are proud at Frederick Health to be the first in the nation to be certified and offer this critical care.” 

For more information about cancer treatment options at Frederick Health, visit www.frederickhealth.org/CancerCare.