Introduction to pancreatic cancer: part two – treatment options (2025)

• Knowledge and understanding of surgery for pancreatic cancer and the short and long-term impacts
• Knowledge and understanding of non-surgical treatment options for pancreatic cancer and possible side effects
• Confidence in supporting patients preparing for and going through treatment

You will receive a CPD certificate of completion at the end of course.

Our courses are mapped to the ACCEND framework. Find out more about ACCEND.

This course supports the following ACCEND Capabilities in Practice:

• 3. 8 Help individuals and carers to understand their care options, sharing information on the risks, benefits, consequences, and potential outcomes in a clear, open way to support shared decision-making
• 5. 5 Progress care, recognising that reducing symptoms, restoring and maintaining function and independence, and improving quality of life all form clinical outcomes and meaningful goals of treatment
• 6. 1 Provide information and advice appropriate to the needs, priorities and concerns of individuals
• 7. 4 Access information from a range of resources, and use them to meet the individual needs of service users, translating clinically related topics into language which is understandable both for individuals to self-manage effectively and for the development of patient information
• 14. 8 Consistently encourage prehabilitation, rehabilitation and, where appropriate, recovery.
• 15.13 Support people having pharmacological treatment for cancer including knowledge of and management of side effects and when to seek additional advice
• 16. 2 Understand the importance of prehabilitation interventions at the earliest opportunity from diagnosis and how to implement the elements of effective prehabilitation
• 16. 8 Understand that cognitive, psychological and emotional support are the key to successful rehabilitation
• 18. 1 Recognise common symptoms and oncological emergencies

• Different types of surgery
• Duodenal and biliary bypass surgery and stents
• Different types of chemotherapy
• Different types of radiotherapy
• Irreversible electroporation (IRE)
• Genomic medicine

There will be a short quiz toward the end of the course to test your knowledge.

Over 1,500 health professionals have taken the course, of which:
– 99% rated it good or excellent
– 98% reported their knowledge and understanding increased
– 99% would recommend to a colleague

“Best advice I’ve ever come across. I have encountered many patients on PERT over the course of my dietetic career and there have constantly been mixed messages regarding dosage, etc. I am very clear now thanks to this fantastic training.” Dietitian who completed the PERT course

Do I need to complete part two of the course in one go?

No. You can start the course and come back to it at later date to complete it. The course will remember your progress.

Can I get CPD from taking part two of this course?

Yes. Each part of the course is CPD certified. On completion of part two of the course you will receive a certificate with the CPD stamp which you can use for revalidation.

Do I need to take part one of the course before taking part two?

We do recommend taking part one on symptoms, risk factors and diagnosis before taking part two of the course. However, it isn’t mandatory to do so and you are able to take this course on its own. After you’ve completed part two of the course, we recommend taking part three exploring symptom management and then the case studies course.

The content of this course is supported by research, studies and guides which are referenced throughout the course content.

We would like to thank the following people who contributed, reviewed and tested this online course, in addition to our Pancreatic Cancer Specialist Nurses:

Reviewers

• Mr Andrew Smith, Consultant Pancreatic Surgeon and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Angela Macgregor, UGI Specialist Nurse, NHS Highland
• Prof Daniel Palmer, Medical Oncologist, University of Liverpool
• Dr Derek Grose, Consultant Clinical Onocologist, Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre
• Rachel White, Dietitian, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust

Videos: People affected by pancreatic cancer who shared their experience

• Bradley Roberts
• Chris Ashworth
• Claire Harrington
• Dorothy Sweeney
• Jenny Oldfield
• Margaret Blaikie

The course content

The content of this course is supported by research, studies and guides which are referenced throughout the course content.