The most important factor predicting the survival of pancreatic cancer patients is whether the cancer can be surgically removed (whether the cancer is “resectable”). The answer isn’t always clear. Some centers may consider a tumor too entangled with neighboring organs and blood vessels for surgery to be an option, leading to the use of surgery in only about 15 to 20 percent of pancreatic cancers, nationally. Due in part to advanced surgical techniques, more effective medicines, and a multidisciplinary approach to treating the disease, University of Colorado Cancer Center is able to operate on 30 percent or more of pancreatic cancer patients, nearly double the national average.