Can a Daily Pill Prevent Pancreatic Cancer?
A rare genetic mutation discovered by a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital could hold the clues to developing new management strategies for pancreatic cancer. Sahar Nissim, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the Brigham’s Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy & Genetics Divisions, found the mutation in a single family with a strong history of pancreatic cancer and published his findings in Nature Genetics. He said the discovery may have broader implications for all patients with pancreatic cancer, regardless of whether or not they have the mutation.
For three decades, the 
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is developing new ways to resect or biopsy intraabdominal tumors by incorporating cutting-edge imaging technology within the operating room. Specifically, the Brigham’s state-of-the-art Advanced Multimodality Image Guided Operating (AMIGO) suite—a 5,700-square-foot operating room that integrates an array of advanced imaging technologies—allows physicians to more easily identify and more accurately biopsy or resect lesions in the mesentery of the bowel and retroperitoneum.
In 2017, nearly 700,000 robotic-assisted procedures were performed in the United States. Robotic surgery is fast becoming the preferred method for procedures in gynecological, thoracic, urologic, colon and rectal surgery. Today, a wide range of colorectal problems can be treated with robotic surgery.
Absent of a cure for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), physicians at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have pioneered a broader approach to improving the health of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s by focusing on lifestyle, health education and psychosocial aspects of disease.