Pancreatic cancer is often found late, when it has already spread beyond the pancreas. Fewer than 12% of people survive five years, making it one of the deadliest cancers. Treatment typically combines surgery when possible, chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation, but recurrence is common and options for advanced disease remain limited.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing combinations of chemotherapy with immunotherapy drugs, targeted therapies for specific gene mutations like BRCA1/BRCA2 and KRAS, and ways to break down the dense tissue around tumors that blocks drugs from reaching cancer cells. Researchers are also studying earlier detection methods and vaccine approaches that train the immune system to recognize pancreatic cancer.
KRAS-targeted drugs
About 90% of pancreatic cancers have KRAS mutations that drive cancer growth. New drugs that block mutant KRAS are being tested in combination with chemotherapy after showing promise in other cancers.
Immunotherapy combinations
Pancreatic cancer hides from the immune system, so checkpoint inhibitors alone rarely work. Trials are testing combinations that might expose the cancer to immune attack, including vaccines and drugs that disrupt the tumor's protective environment.
Tumor microenvironment
Pancreatic tumors are surrounded by dense scar tissue that blocks chemotherapy from reaching cancer cells. Drugs that break down this barrier are being tested to improve treatment delivery.
What to know before you search
Eligibility depends on cancer stage, whether the tumor can be removed surgically, prior treatments, genetic mutations in the tumor, and overall health status.
What types of trials are currently open
- Combination therapy trials — Testing new combinations of chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and immunotherapy to see if they work better than current standard treatments.
- Targeted therapy trials — Testing drugs that target specific mutations like KRAS, BRCA1, BRCA2, or DNA repair defects found in some pancreatic cancers.
- Immunotherapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, and other approaches to help the immune system recognize and attack pancreatic cancer.
- Surgical trials — Comparing different surgical approaches, timing of surgery relative to chemotherapy, and adding new treatments before or after surgery.
- Prevention trials — Testing screening methods in high-risk people and approaches to prevent cancer in those with precancerous pancreatic cysts.
Recently added Pancreatic Cancer trials
Liver Metastasis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Regulatory Mechanisms and Clinical Significance
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, and liver metastasis is a major contributor to treatment failure and reduced survival. Due to the complex mechanisms underlying tumor progression and metastasis, effective early diagnostic biomarkers and targeted therapeutic strategies remain limited. This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying PDAC progression and liver metastasis, identify potential biomarkers for early risk prediction and prognostic assessment, and explore novel therapeutic targets to facilitate precision diagnosis and treatment. Participants will be required to: * Provide histopathologically confirmed primary PDAC tissue and liver metastatic tissue, together with the corresponding adjacent non-tumor pancreatic tissue * Undergo regular follow-up visits for monitoring and data collection. * Allow access to their medical records for relevant clinical information.
Artificial Intelligence-Assisted 4D Dynamic Long-Axial PET Imaging for the Detection of Early Pancreatic Cancer Lesions
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with a poor prognosis, and early detection of pancreatic lesions is of great importance for improving patient outcomes. In this study, whole-body imaging with FDG and FAPI will be used to visualize the early development of pancreatic cancer lesions from multiple perspectives, including glucose metabolism, tumor fibrotic stroma, and integrin receptor expression. Furthermore, leveraging the advantages of four-dimensional dynamic long-axial PET imaging, artificial intelligence-assisted lesion detection and analysis will be performed to characterize lesions and differentiate between benign and malignant lesions. The imaging findings will subsequently be compared with postoperative histopathological results to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the proposed imaging approaches.
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