Nadine Abi-Jaoudeh, MD, board-certified, fellowship-trained UCI Health radiologist, shared promising Phase 1 data at ASCO 2026 regarding a novel interventional approach for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Her study targets the 35% of patients whose tumors encase major vessels, rendering them unresectable despite induction chemotherapy.

By combining parallel photodynamic therapy with intravascular laser activation via a balloon catheter, the team successfully destroys perivascular tumor tissue, converting previously inoperable cases into candidates for Whipple procedures. This shift is critical, as moving patients from standard care (10–15% five-year survival) to successful resection can boost five-year overall survival rates to 40–50%. This innovation offers tangible hope for a population that has historically had few options.