Articles tagged with Pancreatic Cancer
A large DNA analysis has identified several new genetic markers that signal increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The markers are variations in the inherited DNA code at particular locations along chromosomes.
Researchers at Cancer Research UK have found a new use for an old drug, rapamycin, in shrinking and stopping the spread of a specific type of pancreatic cancer tumour. The study suggests that targeting mTOR dependency may be a key to tailoring treatment to individual patients.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are developing a combined investigational treatment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer, combining radiation with chemotherapy and a PARP inhibitor. The study aims to identify patient biomarkers that can provide clues into individual treatment response and improve survival rates.
GW researcher Alexandros Tzatsos receives over $1 million in grants to study pancreatic cancer's epigenetic regulators. He aims to develop targeted therapies for this aggressive form of cancer by understanding the role of histone demethylase.
Researchers at IMIM have identified galectin-1 as a potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, demonstrating improved survival rates of 20% in mice. The inhibition of this protein mainly affects the immune system and surrounding tumor cells, suggesting a new strategy for treating pancreatic cancer with minimal side effects.
A study published by the American Association for Cancer Research found that low-dose aspirin significantly reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer. The longer a person takes low-dose aspirin, the lower their risk of developing pancreatic cancer, with some evidence suggesting a greater reduction in risk over time.
Adding MM-398 to standard treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer improves overall and progression-free survival, according to a phase III trial. The combination therapy showed significant benefits over standard treatment alone, but with higher gastrointestinal side effects.
Pancreatic cancer tumors rely on Yap1 when mutant Kras is blocked, fueling tumor recurrence. Researchers found that Yap1-driven tumors resemble a poor-prognosis subtype of pancreatic cancer.
The Phase 2B clinical trial of CRS-207 and GVAX Pancreas vaccines aims to improve treatment outcomes for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The combination regimen shows promise in improving survival rates, with no serious treatment-related adverse side effects.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed an optical blood oxygen sensor attached to an endoscope that can identify pancreatic cancer with a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 86%. The device measures changes in blood flow near the pancreas, which tumors alter to grow. Early detection is crucial as most pancreatic cancers are diagno...
A new drug called MM-398 has shown a significant overall survival rate in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer when given in combination with 5-flourouracil and leucovorin. The study achieved an overall survival of 6.1 months, a 1.9 month improvement over the control arm.
Researchers at Rice University have developed customized carbon nanotubes that can deliver chemotherapy agents to pancreatic cancer cells. The nanotubes are small enough to pass through the pores of cancer-related blood vessels, allowing them to target and infiltrate the nuclei of cancerous cells.
A recent study published in Metabolomics found that EGCG, a green tea extract, disrupts the balance of metabolic pathways in pancreatic cancer cells, reducing their growth and increasing the risk of cancer. Researchers also identified an enzyme inhibitor, oxamate, which operates in a similar manner.
Ronald M. Evans, director of the Gene Expression Laboratory at Salk Institute, is one of three scientists chosen for The Lustgarten Foundation's Distinguished Scholars program to focus on finding a cure for pancreatic cancer. He will expand his research on Vitamin D therapies using clinical trials in patients.
Researchers have discovered a unique molecular signature for adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC), a rare and virulent form of pancreatic cancer. The identification of somatic mutations in the UPF1 gene may lead to the development of novel diagnostic approaches and therapeutic strategies, offering new hope for patients with ASC.
Researchers have found that eliminating scar tissue and inflammation in pancreatic cancer tumors can actually make them more deadly. In a new study, mice without desmoplasia developed tumors earlier and died sooner, suggesting that treatments targeting this complex scar tissue may need to be reevaluated.
Fibrous tissue in pancreatic tumors actually supports an immune attack that slows tumor progression but cannot overcome it. Immunotherapy could be a promising new avenue for guiding treatment, offering hope for patients with low levels of fibrosis in their tumors.
Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered an enzyme, Rac1b, that is tightly linked to the development of aggressive pancreatic cancer. The study provides key insights into the most aggressive form of the disease and offers a potential way to gauge outcome in individual patients.
Researchers found distinct profiles of bacteria in saliva that may indicate early-stage pancreatic cancer diagnosis. High levels of Leptotrichia and Campylobacter were detected in patients with pancreatic cancer compared to healthy controls.
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have identified Yes-associated protein (Yes) as the critical switch that promotes cancer growth and progression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Inhibiting Yes completely shuts down further growth of pancreatic cancer, offering a promising therapeutic target.
Researchers have identified a gene, PLAC-8, critical to pancreatic cancer progression and growth through autophagy. Inactivating the gene in mice significantly slows cancer's progression, offering a potential new route to treatment.
Microfluidic technology reveals potential biomarker for early pancreatic cancer, capturing circulating pancreas cells in 33% of patients with early lesions. The detection may indicate an early sign of cancer, and a clinical trial is underway to predict patient risk.
Death rates from pancreatic cancer are expected to rise in Europe in 2014, with 41,300 men and 41,000 women predicted to die from the disease. This represents a small but steady increase since 2000, with only five percent of patients surviving for five years after diagnosis.
An Indiana University study found that immediately after Steve Jobs' death, more than a third of survey participants sought information about cancer in general and 7% sought pancreatic cancer info, highlighting the importance of using celebrities to educate the public about disease prevention and detection.
Dr. Michael Barrett of TGen received a $200,000 grant to investigate the molecular drivers of pancreatic cancer spread. The grant supports research into high-priority areas to double pancreatic cancer survival by 2020.
Researchers from the University of California - San Francisco, led by Margaret Tempero, are part of a national 'dream team' working to accelerate treatment and discoveries for pancreatic cancer. The team aims to turn the deadly disease into a treatable one through targeted approaches and collaborative research.
The SU2C-Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Convergence Dream Team aims to develop new therapies using patients' own immune cells to treat pancreatic cancer. The team, led by experts in various institutions, will focus on understanding the tumor microenvironment and developing therapeutic agents to eliminate barriers to treatment.
A Dream Team led by Elizabeth Jaffee and Robert Vonderheide aims to exploit patients' own immune cells to treat pancreatic cancer. The team will use vaccination and other agents to activate antitumor immune cells and convert the tumor microenvironment into a fostered rejection environment.
Researchers at Dartmouth developed a more accurate and safer treatment for pancreatic cancer by analyzing pre-treatment CT scans. The study found that blood volume in tumors is a key predictor of treatment response, making PDT easier, faster, and more effective.
Researchers have developed a method to predict pancreatic cancer from cysts in the pancreas, detecting mucus protein with 97% certainty. The approach minimizes unnecessary operations and may enable early detection of cancer.
A large analysis of international studies suggests a time-dependent link between diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Screening programs may be necessary for patients with new-onset diabetes, particularly those without significant risk factors.
A new national analysis of trends and outcomes reveals that pancreatic cancer surgery remains under-utilized for patients with the deadly disease. Researchers identified factors associated with not receiving surgery in patients with localized pancreatic cancer, including age, race, and location.
Researchers from Imperial College London have discovered that blocking Hhat slows pancreatic cancer growth by preventing Hedgehog from stimulating nearby cells. The study found that genetic techniques could prevent the process from starting in the first place, leading to reduced cancer cell growth and ability to spread.
Researchers found a higher risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with acute pancreatitis, particularly those over 40. The study suggests that patients with acute pancreatitis should be evaluated for pancreatic cancer using esophageal ultrasound.
A new study found that each individual patient's molecular profile in pancreatic cancer is unique, with different genes and pathways disrupted compared to the group of patients as a whole. The researchers argue for personalized medicine, where treatment is tailored to each person's individual disease etiology.
Researchers developed a mouse model that simulates precursor lesions like IPMN, identifying enzyme Brg1 as key to their formation. The study also found epigenetics play a role in PDA, offering potential avenues for intervention.
A highly accurate, noninvasive test has been identified to differentiate between benign and potentially cancerous pancreatic cysts. The test analyzes fluid from pancreatic cysts for a specific biomarker, VEGF-A, with 99% accuracy indicating the cyst is benign.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have discovered a 'cell hijack' method in pancreatic cancer where pancreatic stellate cells are recruited to aid the growth and spread of cancer. This process can be blocked to prevent tumour growth, suggesting new therapeutic strategies for treating pancreatic cancer.
A credit card-sized device has been developed to process tissue biopsies for 3-D imaging, which can provide a more complete picture of the cellular makeup of a tumor. This technology could potentially reduce diagnosis time to minutes and improve prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients.
A study found diagnostic microRNA panels in whole blood can distinguish patients with and without pancreatic cancer. The findings have potential for an early detection method, but further research is necessary.
Researchers have found a potential new strategy to selectively kill pancreatic cancer cells while sparing healthy ones, using energy supply disruption. By blocking glycolysis, they observed a toxic calcium overload and cell death in cancer cells, but not in normal cells.
Researchers develop new treatment for pancreatic cancer by using a drug that breaks down the protective barrier surrounding cancer tumours. The approach enables T cells to get through and kill cancer cells, resulting in almost complete elimination of cancer cells in initial tests.
Researchers found that K-Ras mutations allow cancer cells to survive and invade tissues without normal survival signals. The study suggests that these mutations promote invasion by subverting the mechanism of normal cell death.
Researchers found that retinoblastoma protein malfunction enables TGF-β to stimulate pancreatic cancer cell proliferation. Abnormal pathways activated by TGF-β and Wnt7b can be disrupted with drugs, providing potential therapeutic targets.
Researchers developed a new drug-delivery technique using two types of nanoparticles to effectively treat pancreatic cancer in mouse models. The dual-wave method opens up access to tumor cells, allowing chemotherapy drugs to target and kill cancer cells more efficiently.
Pancreatic cancer death rates have increased in whites but decreased in African Americans over the past few decades. The study found that while smoking prevalence has decreased in both groups, other risk factors such as obesity and low vegetable intake may be contributing to the rising mortality rates in whites.
A large prospective study found that consuming tree nuts was inversely associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer. Women who consumed two or more servings of nuts per week had a significantly reduced risk compared to those who did not.
The EORTC study found that baseline recorded health-related quality of life parameters provided additional prognostic information for survival in eleven types of cancer, including brain, breast, and colorectal cancers. The specific health-related quality of life parameters found to be predictive for survival varied by cancer site.
Researchers at the University of Missouri have found a more accurate laboratory method for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. The new technique uses morphological features to identify the disease with 93% accuracy, significantly improving diagnosis over traditional methods.
A preclinical study by Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that the investigational drug Zybrestat significantly reduces tumor size and circulating insulin levels in mice with endocrine pancreatic tumors. The study presents promising results for treating this less common form of pancreatic cancer.
A simple blood test detecting epigenetic alterations may reveal the earliest signs of pancreatic cancer, a disease with nearly always fatal outcomes. The test's sensitivity and specificity are 97% and 85%, respectively, offering a promising step towards reducing mortality from this cancer.
A investigational antibody-drug conjugate, MLN0264, has shown promise in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer. The drug selectively targets tumors expressing guanyl cyclase C and has been found to inhibit tumor growth when combined with traditional chemotherapy agent gemcitabine.
Researchers have identified two drug combinations that can simultaneously block two major signaling pathways downstream of the KRAS protein, which is aberrantly active in most pancreatic cancers. The combinations substantially inhibited tumor growth and reduced metastasis compared to either drug alone.
A large prospective study found that patients with a body mass index in the obese range live on average two to three months less after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis compared to healthy-weight patients. Obesity is associated with poorer pancreatic cancer survival rates, even after adjusting for age and disease stage.
A multicentre phase III study shows that the nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine combination significantly improves one- and two-year survival rates in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer compared to gemcitabine alone. This new drug combination is set to become a reference treatment for this disease.
The study found that nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine led to significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared to gemcitabine alone. Participants who received nab-paclitaxel also experienced a delay in tumor growth and higher survival rates, with 35% surviving over 1 year.
Researchers at UCLA School of Dentistry validated that pancreatic cancer biomarkers reside in saliva through a study on tumor-ridden mouse models. The team demonstrated that tumor-derived extracellular RNA molecules are transported through exosome vesicles and re-processed into saliva as biomarkers.
Treatment with gemcitabine for 6 months significantly improved overall survival (22.8 months vs. 20.2 months) and disease-free survival (13.4 months vs. 6.7 months) in patients after pancreatic cancer surgery. The study demonstrated a 10.3% increase in 5-year overall survival rate.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have discovered a biomarker, phosphatidylserine, that can be effectively targeted to kill pancreatic cancer cells. The use of a biotherapy consisting of saposin C and dioleoylphosphatidylserine combined in nanovesicles shows promising results in animal models.
Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that mice on high-fat diets developed abnormally high numbers of pancreatic lesions, which are precursors to pancreas cancer. A normal diet was shown to have a significant impact on reducing the risk of this deadly disease.