Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of the pancreas. Often asymptomatic in its early stages, when detected early and treated promptly, there remains a genuine opportunity for long-term survival.
In 2025, an estimated 495,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer were diagnosed worldwide, with mortality nearly matching incidence. The disease often causes no early symptoms, and many patients are already at an advanced stage when first diagnosed. However, timely intervention can still open a window for curative outcomes — so seeking medical care as soon as possible is the single most important step you can take.
China accounts for nearly one-quarter of the world’s new pancreatic cancer cases — approximately 134,000 patients annually, with incidence rising at 2.3% per year. At Fosun Health, this extraordinary case volume has given our expert teams a depth of experience that ensures precision in every aspect of care — from early detection through advanced multimodal therapy, bringing you expertise refined by thousands of real world cases.
Every pancreatic cancer program has surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Here is what makes ours different:
"Do I need the massive Whipple surgery? Will I become diabetic and malnourished for life?"
The challenge: Pancreatic surgery is among the most formidable in oncology. Conventional Whipple (pancreaticoduodenectomy) removes the pancreatic head, duodenum, gallbladder, and part of the stomach. The risks are real: pancreatic fistula, postoperative diabetes, lifelong digestive enzyme replacement, and brittle blood sugar control. For many patients, the prospect feels as terrifying as the cancer itself.
Our answer: We do not default to "maximum removal." Our strategy is pancreas-preserving by design, precision-driven by robotics:
- Robotic-Assisted Pancreatectomy: The Da Vinci platform provides 10–15× magnified 3D vision and tremor-free, 540° wristed instruments. We navigate the retroperitoneal space with sub-millimeter precision, removing only the tumor-bearing tissue while meticulously preserving the main pancreatic duct, surrounding arteries and veins, and healthy glandular parenchyma. For malignant tumors requiring Whipple or distal pancreatectomy, the robot achieves radical clearance with less blood loss, lower pancreatic fistula rates, and faster recovery than open surgery.
- Parenchyma-Sparing Resection: For benign or early-stage (low-grade) tumors, we perform enucleation or central pancreatectomy—scooping out only the tumor while leaving the vast majority of functional pancreatic tissue intact. You keep your insulin production. You keep your digestive enzymes.
What this means for you: "Radical" does not have to mean "total." Wherever oncologically sound, we preserve every viable unit of pancreatic tissue—so you maintain your body's ability to control blood sugar and digest food.
"The scan shows the tumor is wrapped around the portal vein or superior mesenteric artery. They told me it is inoperable. Is this the end?"
The challenge: Pancreatic cancer often hugs major vessels so tightly that surgeons deem it "borderline resectable" or "locally advanced unresectable." For decades, this label meant palliative chemotherapy and inevitable progression. Patients were told to prepare for the worst.
Our answer: Twoe technologies that turn "inoperable" into "treatable with curative intent":
- CyberKnife M6: For tumors in surgically inaccessible locations or for patients unfit for surgery, 0.1mm sub-millimeter stereotactic radiosurgery tracks the pancreas's motion with breathing and converges radiation from thousands of angles. It ablates the tumor while maximally sparing the duodenum, stomach, spinal cord, kidneys, and healthy bowel. Curative-intent treatment in 1–5 non-invasive sessions.
- Interventional Arterial Downstaging: HAIC (hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy) and D-TACE deliver drug concentrations 50–100× higher than IV therapy directly to tumor-feeding arteries via microcatheter. Combined with systemic therapy, this shrinks bulky tumors and can convert initially unresectable disease to a surgical window.
What this means for you: A tumor touching a major vessel is no longer an automatic "no" to curative treatment. We have physical, non-thermal, and pharmacological tools to destroy or shrink it—without destroying you.
"The pain is so bad I can only sleep hunched over. My skin is yellow and itchy. I cannot eat and I am wasting away. Can you help me survive the treatment itself?"
The challenge: Pancreatic cancer brings some of oncology's most punishing symptoms: relentless upper abdominal and back pain from tumor invading the celiac plexus; malignant obstructive jaundice causing itching, liver failure, and loss of appetite; duodenal obstruction causing vomiting and starvation; and chemotherapy toxicity (FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine-abraxane) causing severe nausea, neuropathy, and exhaustion. Many patients are too depleted to complete even one full treatment cycle.
Our answer: We do not ask you to "fight through" intolerable suffering. We stabilize you first—so you have the strength to win:
- Biliary Drainage & Stenting: For obstructive jaundice, PTCD percutaneous drainage or ERCP stent placementrelieves bile backup within hours—stopping the itching, protecting liver function, and restoring your ability to tolerate chemotherapy.
- Celiac Plexus Blockade: For intractable pain unresponsive to oral medications, we perform image-guided celiac plexus neurolysis—interrupting the pain signaling pathway from the pancreas. Patients often experience dramatic pain relief and reduced opioid dependence within days.
- Duodenal Stenting: For gastric outlet or duodenal obstruction, an endoscopically placed stent reopens the digestive channel—restoring the ability to eat and drink.
- Nutritional Rescue: Our clinical nutrition team initiates enteral or parenteral immunonutrition (arginine, omega-3 fatty acids, nucleotides) immediately—reversing cancer cachexia and building the physical reserve needed for surgery or chemotherapy.
- Integrative TCM: "Toxicity Reduction + Efficacy Enhancement": Evidence-informed herbal formulations protect residual pancreatic function, reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, alleviate cancer-related fatigue, and mitigate myelosuppression. Acupuncture provides additional support for pain, nausea, and neuropathy—helping you complete every planned cycle on schedule.
What this means for you: Before we attack the cancer, we attack the suffering. Pain controlled. Jaundice relieved. Nutrition restored. Only then do you face chemotherapy or surgery from a position of strength—not weakness.
"I have exhausted FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel. Is there truly nothing left? And can I afford it if there is?"
The challenge: Metastatic pancreatic cancer demands multi-line therapy. Resistance to first-line regimens is inevitable. When standard options are exhausted, patients in many regions face a void—and even when next-generation drugs exist, their cost can be prohibitive.
Our answer: In China, the next line is mapped to your tumor's genetics—and it is accessible:
- NGS-Guided Targeted Therapy:
KRAS G12C mutated: Access to KRAS G12C inhibitors (adagrasib, sotorasib) already approved in China.
Germline BRCA1/2 or PALB2 mutated: Olaparib maintenance therapy—a PARP inhibitor that exploits synthetic lethality in DNA repair-deficient tumors.
HER2 amplified: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) for previously treated disease.
NTRK fusion-positive: NTRK inhibitors for this rare but highly responsive subset.
MSI-H / dMMR: Pembrolizumab immunotherapy inducing deep, durable remissions.
- China-Original Combination Protocols: Sintilimab (anti-PD-1) combined with modified FOLFIRINOX and other domestic immunochemotherapy regimens are rewriting outcomes for advanced disease and are endorsed by CSCO guidelines.
- Phase III Trial Fast-Track: When approved drugs fail, we provide rapid access to trials of next-generation KRAS G12D inhibitors, pan-RAS inhibitors, CLDN18.2/CD3 bispecific antibodies, and EGFR×HER3 bispecific ADCs—typically 3–5 years ahead of availability elsewhere.
Because these therapies are developed and manufactured within China's ecosystem, comprehensive treatment costs are 30%–50% of what you would pay in Europe or the US—with zero compromise in quality.
What this means for you: Your KRAS, BRCA, HER2, or MSI status is not just data—it is a direct route to drugs that are available here, sequenced by physicians with deep real-world experience, at a cost that makes long-term, multi-line treatment sustainable.
When standard therapies reach their limit, we provide rapid access to China's full portfolio of Phase III clinical trials—therapies typically 3–5 years ahead of availability elsewhere. NGS-based molecular matching identifies trials targeting your specific mutation. Every enrollment is ethics-approved with full medical supervision.
Our TCM program runs alongside your primary treatment as a "pancreatic function and immune optimizer":
Toxicity Reduction: Herbal formulations protect residual pancreatic function, reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, alleviate cancer-related fatigue, and manage bloating or fatty stools caused by enzyme insufficiency.
Efficacy Enhancement: Selected preparations may improve tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy or targeted agents.
Acupuncture provides additional support for pain, nausea, and cancer-related fatigue. The goal: protect your remaining pancreatic capacity, reduce treatment burden, and keep you strong enough to finish the fight.
Every pancreatic cancer case is reviewed by a panel comprising hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery, interventional radiology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, gastroenterology, clinical nutrition, radiology, and pathology specialists. Pancreatic cancer demands constant calibration between oncological aggression and physiological preservation—between removing the tumor and maintaining the patient's ability to digest, control blood sugar, and survive intensive therapy.
The MDT convenes within 48 hours of complete documentation. Your plan is a consensus decision optimized for your tumor biology, resectability status, nutritional state, molecular profile, and your personal priorities.
At around 5 a.m., an ambulance rushed an 84-year-old man to Foshan Fosun Chancheng Hospital. The patient had been experiencing continuous rectal bleeding for two hours, was extremely pale, and showed a sharp drop in blood pressure. His hemoglobin level had fallen to just 50 g/L (normal range for adult males is approximately 120–160 g/L). The severe gastrointestinal bleeding posed an immediate threat to his life.
Diagnostic tests revealed that the patient’s pancreatic tumor had invaded the duodenum, causing recurrent bleeding. CT imaging showed a pancreatic head tumor, pancreatic atrophy, and pancreatic duct dilation.
Given his advanced age, poor pulmonary function, and malnutrition, the surgical risk was extremely high. After thorough discussions with his family, the medical team decided on a two-step approach: first, an emergency gastroduodenal artery embolization to stop the bleeding, followed by a laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy to remove the tumor.
Experts from the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Department, Anesthesiology, Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), Nutrition, and Radiology departments convened a multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting to develop a detailed and evidence-based surgical plan. Using advanced laparoscopic techniques, the surgical team performed a series of precise maneuvers:
Meticulous Exploration: Carefully separated adhesions and exposed the tumor-invaded pancreatic head and duodenum, clearing the way for tumor removal.
Vascular Management: The common hepatic artery was carefully isolated and suspended to ensure its protection, and the tumor-feeding arteries—including the gastroduodenal and right gastric arteries—were sequentially ligated.
Tumor Resection: Sequentially resected from the distal stomach to the proximal jejunum, including the gallbladder, mid/distal common bile duct, pancreatic head, and the entire duodenum.
Digestive Tract Reconstruction: Reconnected the jejunum to the stomach, bile duct, and pancreas to restore digestive continuity.
Successful surgery was only the beginning—recovery was equally critical. Guided by ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) principles, the nursing team developed a personalized rehabilitation plan for the elderly patient:
Pain Management: Implemented a “preemptive analgesia” protocol to minimize postoperative pain.
Early Mobilization: On the second postoperative day, the patient began in-bed leg exercises such as “cycling movements”.
Nutritional Progression: By day four, he was able to get out of bed, pass gas and stool, and tolerate liquid foods such as rice soup.
The patient successfully overcame the key postoperative challenges of infection, nutrition, and thrombosis. His recovery exceeded expectations, and he was discharged in stable condition.
Led by Dr. Yang Jun, Prof. Luo Pengfei, and Prof. Chen Tao, the Fosun Oncology Center brings together more than 20 world-class medical experts, each with over a decade of extensive oncology experience. Supported by a comprehensive range of advanced therapies — including robotic surgery, precision radiotherapy, minimally invasive intervention, CAR-T cell therapy, and Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) — the center delivers one-stop, integrated cancer care designed to make treatment more accessible, efficient, and high-quality for every patient.
Key Highlights
- Over 60,000 annual oncology patient admissions across Fosun’s major international hospitals in 2025
More than 17,000 cumulative TACE procedures completed between 2023 and 2025 at Fosun Hospital Guangzhou alone, with international patients accounting for over 10% of total cases
- More than 1,000 successful CyberKnife treatments performed, demonstrating world-class expertise in precision radiotherapy
- A 29.3% five-year survival rate achieved for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) through combined TTFields therapy, representing a significant improvement over the 4.7% baseline
Core Services
- Robotic surgery
- Precision radiotherapy
- Minimally invasive intervention
- CAR-T cell therapy
- Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields)
- Medical oncology
- PET/CT imaging
- Pulmonary nodule diagnosis
- VIP inpatient wards
- Integrated oncology clinics
- Traditional Chinese medicine for oncology
- Cancer screening and early detection
- Genetic testing and counseling
Founded in 1992, Fosun has grown over the past three decades into a global innovation-driven consumer group. In 2007, Fosun International Limited was listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 00656.HK). As one of the few Chinese enterprises with strong global operational and investment capabilities, Fosun has developed substantial technological expertise and innovation capacity across multiple industries.
Established in 2010, Shanghai Fosun Health Technology is dedicated to building a world-renowned healthcare group in Asia. Today, the group operates 19 affiliated medical institutions across Foshan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shanghai, and other major cities, with a total of 6,600 hospital beds and 9 Internet Hospital licenses. Fosun Health ranks No. 1 among China’s private comprehensive medical groups. Its flagship institution, Fosun Foshan Chancheng Hospital, has ranked first among private hospitals in China for eight consecutive years and was honored with the 2026 Global Health Asia-Pacific “Oncological Medical Service Provider of the Year” award.
As the flagship hospital of Fosun Health, Fosun Foshan Chancheng Hospital was founded in 1958. The hospital currently hosts 28 key specialty development programs, including 2 provincial-level, 13 municipal-level, and 13 district-level key specialties. Its services span 22 medical disciplines, including spinal orthopedics, traditional Chinese medicine gynecology, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiovascular medicine, clinical laboratory medicine, anesthesiology, pediatrics, critical care medicine, ultrasound medicine, rehabilitation medicine, general practice, general surgery, and urology.
The hospital is equipped with globally advanced medical technologies, including the CyberKnife system and the Da Vinci Surgical Robot. It has 1,750 approved hospital beds and a multidisciplinary team of more than 2,800 medical professionals. The hospital records nearly 3.19 million outpatient visits annually and more than 67,000 inpatient discharges each year.
Fosun Foshan Chancheng Hospital has received numerous prestigious recognitions, including:
Global Health Asia-Pacific “Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of the Year”
Global Health China “Hospital of the Year”
No. 1 ranking on the GAHA Top 500 Private Hospitals in China list for eight consecutive years
The hospital has also been recognized as:
A National Model Unit for Improved Medical Services
A National Drug Clinical Trial Institution (GCP)
A National Standardized Residency Training Base
Established in 2003, Guangzhou Fosun Chancheng Hospital specializes in cardiovascular medicine, oncology, and neurosciences. The hospital has established a National Chest Pain Center, Stroke Center, Trauma Center, and MDT Center, supporting the development of emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, intensive care, anesthesiology, gastroenterology, general surgery, urology, and general practice.
The hospital operates more than 800 inpatient beds and 48 clinical and medical technology departments, supported by a team of over 880 healthcare professionals.
Guangzhou Fosun Chancheng Hospital has received several honors and industry recognitions, including:
EMBA Innovation Practice Base
Guangdong Private Medical Reform & Innovation Brand
Guangdong Private Medical Industry Pioneer Brand
Outstanding Brand Hospital for Medical Investment Contribution
Upload your contrast enhanced CT (pancreatic protocol), EUS and pathology reports, MRI/MRCP, PET CT, CA19 9 levels, and NGS results (KRAS, BRCA, HER2, MSI). Our pancreatic cancer MDT team will provide a personalized treatment plan—including resectability assessment and conversion strategy—within 48 hours.
