In general, they seem to have different side effects than traditional chemo drugs. ![]() Targeted therapies may prove to be useful along with, or instead of, current treatments. Targeted drugs work differently from standard chemo drugs in that they attack only specific targets on cancer cells (or nearby cells). Other newer chemo drugs are also being tested, as are combinations of chemo drugs with newer types of drugs. Many studies are seeing if combining gemcitabine with other drugs can help people live longer. Many clinical trials are testing new combinations of chemotherapy drugs for pancreatic cancer. These include intraoperative radiation therapy (in which a single large dose of radiation is given to the area of the cancer in the operating room at the time of surgery) and proton beam radiation (which uses a special type of radiation that might do less damage to nearby normal cells). Some studies are looking at different ways to give radiation to treat pancreatic cancer. Surgeons are looking to see how it compares to the standard operation and which patients might be helped the most by it. One advantage of this surgery is that people often recover from it more quickly. Long, thin surgical tools and a tiny video camera are then inserted through these cuts to do the operation. For this approach, the surgeon makes several small incisions in the belly instead of one large one. It often requires a long hospital stay, at least in part because of the long incision (cut) made in the belly.Ī newer approach now used at some major medical centers is to do the operation laparoscopically. Surgery to remove pancreatic cancer (most often a Whipple procedure) is a long and complex operation that can be hard both for the surgeon and the patient. Improving surgery and radiation therapy are major goals, as is determining the best combination of treatments for people with certain stages of cancer. Some early results with this approach have been promising, but more research is needed to confirm its usefulness.Ī lot of research is focused on finding better treatments for pancreatic cancer. Other tests are looking to see if groups of proteins found in the blood might be used to find pancreatic cancer early, when it is likely to be easier to treat. But these tests are not recommended for widespread testing of people at average risk who do not have any symptoms. ![]() New diagnostic tests are often able to recognize this change in samples of pancreatic juice collected during an ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography).įor now, imaging tests like endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), ERCP, and genetic tests for changes in certain genes (such as KRAS) are options for people with a strong family history of pancreatic cancer. One of the most common DNA changes in these conditions affects the KRAS oncogene, which affects regulation of cell growth. Researchers are using this information to develop tests for detecting acquired (not inherited) gene changes in pancreatic pre-cancerous conditions. In later steps such as PanIN 2 and PanIN 3, there are changes in several genes and the duct cells look more abnormal. In the early steps, such as PanIN 1, there are changes in a small number of genes, and the duct cells of the pancreas do not look very abnormal. Pancreatic cancer actually develops over many years in a series of steps known as pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia or PanIN. Researchers are now looking at how these and other genes may be altered in pancreatic cancers that are not inherited. ![]() Inherited changes in genes such as BRCA2, p16, and the genes responsible for Lynch syndrome can increase a person’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Scientists are learning more about some of the gene changes in pancreas cells that cause them to become cancer. Research into the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of pancreatic cancer is under way in many medical centers throughout the world.
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