Pancreatic cancer researchers' latest breakthrough could help tumors disappear

Summary

Researchers in Spain have developed a new therapy protocol that could revolutionize the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Notoriously aggressive and difficult to treat, pancreatic cancer is rarely diagnosed in its early stages, as typical symptoms — including back pain, indigestion, nausea, fatigue and bloating — are common and commonly dismissed. In more than 60% of cases, by the time of diagnosis, pancreatic cancer has already advanced to Stage 4. Further, the tumor’s biology makes it resistant to traditional treatments like chemotherapy. At present, drugs for pancreatic cancer lose their efficacy within months as tumors become resistant to treatment. kanruthai – stock.adobe.com Currently, drugs used to treat pancreatic cancer work to block the activity of KRS, a genetic mutation found in the vast majority (90%) of pancreatic cancer patients. Results are modest, however, because within months, tumors become resistant to the treatment. However, researchers at Spain’s National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) say they have developed a triple therapy treatment that prevents this resistance. Published recently in PNAS, the research demonstrates that the therapy completely eliminates pancreatic tumors in mice with minimal side effects. The CNIO team’s approach combines an experimental KRAS inhibitor with a protein degrader and a lung cancer drug to target KRAS at three points rather than one. Applying this triple threat led to the permanent disappearance of pancreatic tumors in mice. According to the study authors, these promising results “pave the way for the design of combined therapies that may improve survival.” The research team notes that, despite the obvious success, optimizing their triple combination therapy for use in a clinical setting will not be easy, nor will it happen quickly. Matthieu – stock.adobe.com This is especially good news given the grim prognosis of pancreatic cancer. Approximately 67,530 patients in the US — 35,190 men and 32,340 women — are expect...