Ioannis Liapis, M.D., MPH, a postdoctoral research fellow in the UAB Department of Surgery, recently received the Steve Sotsky Pancreatic Cancer Research Award from the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA) for his presidential plenary presentation on diagnostic delays in pancreatic cancer at the 2026 AHPBA Annual Meeting, held March 19-22, 2026, in Miami Beach, Florida.
The award recognizes outstanding hepato-pancreato-biliary surgical research by a trainee. The accolade was established in memory of Steve Sotsky, who passed from pancreatic cancer in 2013 and was the father of AHPBA member Tara Sotsky Kent, M.D.
The retrospective cohort study examined factors associated with delays in diagnostic workup and their relationship to survival. The team found that high area-level deprivation and the absence of a primary care provider were each independently associated with delayed workup. Patients who experienced such delays were also less likely to receive guideline recommended care.
“Lack of access to a primary care provider and poor socioeconomic status are not just background variables – they are key factors that contribute to delays in care. In pancreatic cancer, weeks matter, and our data show that patients facing these barriers are systematically losing critical time” Liapis said.
Liapis conducted the study titled “Timeliness Matters: Predictors and Consequences of Delayed Workup in Non-Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer” with co-authors Jaspinder Sanghera, MBChB,Michelle Holland, M.D., MBA, Marcus Sirianno, M.D., Nritya Nair, M.B.B.S.; under the mentorship of senior author Annabelle L. Fonseca, M.D., MHS, associate professor in the UAB Division of Surgical Oncology.
"This study reflects the collaborative efforts of Dr. Liapis and the broader research team to better understand barriers to timely pancreatic cancer care and the impact of diagnostic delays on treatment opportunities and outcomes. Our findings highlight access to primary care and timely diagnostic evaluation as potentially modifiable targets for improving cancer care delivery. We are grateful to AHPBA for recognizing this work.” Fonseca said