Pancreatic cancer, also called pancreatic carcinoma, is a tumor of the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ in the abdominal cavity behind the stomach. It makes and releases hormones and enzymes that aid in digestion. In particular, it creates insulin to keep blood sugar levels stable. Cancer of the pancreas is conventionally treated by a surgical technique called a Whipple procedure. Chemotherapy and radiation are also mainstay treatments for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic tumors are often advanced by the time they are diagnosed, and life expectancy is less than the life expectancy for many other cancers. As of 2009, hundreds of experimental clinical trials are underway in the United States in the hope of finding new treatments for pancreatic cancer.
Experimental Vaccines
While vaccines are typically thought of as being administered to prevent a disease from occurring, these vaccines are given after disease diagnosis in an attempt to halt or slow the progression of the cancer. Vaccines in clinical trials include HyperAcute pancreatic cancer vaccine, GVAX pancreatic cancer vaccine, Survivin peptide vaccine and KLH-pulsed autologous dendritic cell vaccine. Other vaccines are also in clinical trials.
Experimental Radiotherapy
Several clinical trials involving radiation therapy are underway. These therapeutic techniques include proton beam radiation, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, hypofractionated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy and respiratory gated proton beam radiotherapy. Other radiation techniques are also being employed in an attempt to treat pancreatic cancer.
Experimental Chemotherapy
Many clinical trials are underway to determine the efficacy of various drugs in the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma. Some of these agents are gemcitabine hydrochloride, LAG-3, erlotinib hydrochloride, oxaliplatin, capecitabine, Kanglaite, conatumumab, cixutmumab, irinotecan, lapatinib ditosylate, bevacizumab, Tarceva, Sorafenib and Vorinostat. Many other drugs are also in clinical trials; these drugs are usually given in combination with other drugs or radiation treatment. Often, the drugs involved in these studies have been proven effective for other types of cancer and are therefore being tested against pancreatic cancer.
Other Experimental Therapies
Other clinical trials for cancer of the pancreas are utilizing biological agents, gene therapy and even a spice and a vitamin. Each of these trials is overseen by a review board and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Staying Abrest of Experimental Therapies
At any given time, around 300 clinical trials in the United States are recruiting patients with pancreatic cancer. Clinical trials exist for all stages of the disease. To learn about current clinical trials for pancreatic cancer, visit the Clinical Trials website link in the Resources section below. Contact information is available for each clinical trial.
