UCSD Pancreatic Cancer Center (PCC)

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The pancreatic cancer medical oncology program is centered within the gastrointestinal oncology group and features Gregory Botta, MD, PhD, a GI medical oncologist whose practice includes a large volume of pancreatic cancer patients and who leads or co‑leads multiple pancreas‑focused therapeutic trials. He runs a translational research laboratory investigating mechanisms of treatment resistance and novel therapeutics, and serves as a principal investigator on early‑phase and biomarker‑driven clinical trials at UCSD, providing a direct bench‑to‑bedside link for pancreatic cancer patients.

The pancreatic surgery program is led by high‑volume pancreatic surgeons such as Andrew Lowy, MD with additional expertise from surgeons including Rebekah White, MD and Ted Welling, MD; this team performs complex pancreatic resections, vascular reconstructions and cytoreductive procedures, and is integrated into multidisciplinary tumor boards and translational research initiatives

Pancreatic cancer patients have access to advanced radiation modalities (image‑guided, intensity‑modulated and stereotactic body radiation) through Moores Cancer Center’s radiation oncology service, which participates in weekly GI tumor boards and combines radiation with systemic therapy and surgery as part of coordinated care plans.

• UCSD operates a dedicated Pancreatic Cancer Prevention / Early Detection Clinic at Moores Cancer Center for individuals at elevated risk due to hereditary syndromes, strong family history, or high‑risk pancreatic cysts and chronic pancreatitis. This clinic integrates genetic counseling, high‑resolution imaging, endoscopic evaluation and lifestyle interventions into individualized surveillance protocols.
• Moores Cancer Center is the clinical coordinating center and headquarters for the international PRECEDE Consortium, led by pancreatic surgeon‑scientist Diane Simeone, which seeks to improve pancreatic cancer 5‑year survival to 50% through large, longitudinal cohorts, risk modeling and biomarker‑based early detection. High‑risk patients at UCSD can enroll in PRECEDE and related observational or interventional studies, gaining access to advanced germline testing, experimental biomarkers and optimized surveillance algorithms that are not widely available elsewhere.

• Moores Cancer Center is the only NCI‑designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in San Diego, providing infrastructure for disease‑specific teams, shared cores (genomics, imaging, biostatistics) and formal mechanisms to move discoveries into clinical trials.​​
• Since 2024, the center has been directed by Diane Simeone, MD, a globally recognized pancreatic surgeon and early detection researcher who previously built major pancreas programs and now aims to expand UCSD’s national impact in cancer diagnostics, therapy and prevention, with a particular emphasis on pancreatic cancer through PRECEDE and related initiatives.

• UCSD offers a broad portfolio of pancreatic cancer clinical trials, including investigator‑initiated studies and industry‑sponsored trials testing novel systemic agents (such as KRAS‑targeted drugs), immunotherapy combinations, and precision‑oncology approaches; many of these are led or co‑led by GI oncologists like Gregory Botta in collaboration with surgical and radiation oncology.
• Moores Cancer Center investigators participate in multi‑institutional efforts such as the UC Pancreatic Cancer Consortium and national consortia, focusing on therapy resistance, biomarker discovery, and integrating imaging and molecular data for earlier diagnosis and better treatment selection.
• The close linkage between Simeone, Lowy, & Botta’s lab and clinical trial portfolio, along with other translational laboratories in surgery and pathology, allows for correlative science (e.g., genomic, transcriptomic and pharmacodynamic analyses) embedded within pancreatic cancer trials at UCSD