About The Hodes Comprehensive Liver and Pancreas Center at St. Joseph

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The Hodes Comprehensive Liver and Pancreas Center is the only facility of its kind in Maryland and the region, a multidisciplinary program that treats patients with complex diseases related to pancreatic cancer, primary liver cancer, metastatic colorectal cancer and bile duct cancer.

Dr. Mark Fraiman and Dr. Richard Mackey are among the state’s leading experts in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatobiliary disease. Their expert team is comprised of specialists in gastroenterology, hepatology, oncology, radiation oncology, interventional radiology, pathology and liver and pancreas surgery.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Though cancers of the liver and pancreas are not the most common, they are among the deadliest. Most of the time, patients are asymptomatic until the cancer is in a late stage, when it has spread to include a large part of the organ or has metastasized to other parts of the body.

Because of the challenges of early diagnosis of hepatobiliary disease, specialized and expert treatment become essential for patients who have been diagnosed. The Cancer Institute is one of the few facilities in the region with the expertise to perform the complex Whipple surgery, a procedure that removes the head and neck of the pancreas.

Other treatments include radiofrequency ablation (RF) for primary liver cancer, which is done either as an open or laparoscopic procedure, on its own or combined with other liver cancer treatments.

Diagnostically, the latest techniques include endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), which can more precisely define the anatomy and extent of a liver or pancreas tumor or lesion without cutting the skin. For patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) enables meticulous visualization of the pancreative ductal system. ERCP also relieves obstructions and drains fluids causing pain, infection or jaundice in patients already diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

We understand this is a difficult time for patients and their families but our expert and compassionate staff can help ease your concerns. If you think we can help you or a loved one, please call 410-427-2024 for more information. We offer urgent 24-hour consultations including second opinions; please email deborahhartley@catholichealth.net or call 410-427-2024.

The Experts

Mark Fraiman, M.D., F.A.C.S., hepatobiliary surgeon at St. Joseph Medical Center, is one of few doctors in the area performing these complex hepatobiliary procedures. Dr. Fraiman trained at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), which is one of the highest-volume centers in complex hepatobiliary procedures in the nation.

Richard Mackey, Jr., M.D. , a hepatobiliary surgeon at St. Joseph, received his undergraduate education at Loyola College in Maryland and his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Mackey completed his postgraduate education, both internship and residency training in general surgery, at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. His hepatobiliary fellowship was also completed there.

Joshua Forman, M.D., a gastroenterologist at St. Joseph, received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He completed his fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Maryland-Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center where he received extensive training in gastroenterology, hepatology, and therapeutic endoscopy including advanced ERCP and endoscopic ultrasound. In addition to performing conventional upper endoscopy and colonoscopy, Dr. Forman offers a variety of specialized techniques including advanced therapeutic ERCP, endoscopic ultrasound, esophageal, enteral, and colonic stenting, and difficult polypectomy.

Margaret A. Lynch-Nyhan, M.D., head of Interventional Radiology, is board-certified in diagnostic radiology with added qualifications in cardiovascular and interventional radiology. She trained at Johns Hopkins Hospital where she became chief resident and instructor in the Department of Radiology.

 For a complete list of St. Joseph oncologists click here. 

The mission of the Hodes Comprehensive Liver and Pancreas Center is to see patients through each stage of their disease, from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up care. Our staff strives to treat the whole person and offer guidance throughout the journey.