Research

What research is being done for pancreatic cancer treatments and screenings today? The next life-saving treatment for the disease may be on the horizon. These articles highlight the latest in pancreatic cancer research.

347 Articles

White gloved hands of a lab worker filling a pipette
Research
November 21, 2016 • 4 Min

Immunotherapy Treatments Provide Hope to Pancreatic Cancer Patients

Dr. Robert Vonderheide of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania describes immunotherapy trials for pancreatic cancer.

microscope slide of Pancreas cross section embedded in paraffin wax, stained lavender, 10x magnification,
Research
November 11, 2016 • 2 Min

Immunotherapy to Help Shrink Pancreatic Tumors for Surgery

Researchers are looking at adding checkpoint drugs–a type of immunotherapy–to standard chemoradiation to shrink pancreatic cancer for surgery.

Pasteur pipettes in a circle
Research
November 8, 2016 • 4 Min

BRCA’s Role in Pancreatic Cancer Investigated

The relationship between BRCA and pancreatic cancer, and how that affects treatment, is the focus of clinical trials looking at PARP inhibitors.

Four transparent oblong orange pills and five round white pills on an orange background
Research
October 31, 2016 • 2 Min

Using a Vitamin to Make Low-Dose Chemotherapy More Effective

A clinical trial compares the effectiveness of low-dose continuous chemotherapy with and without high doses of vitamin C.

Laboratory equipment including pipes, pipettes
Research
October 21, 2016 • 5 Min

Can a Pancreatic Cancer Screening Test Become a Reality?

Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman discusses screening options for pancreatic cancer and criteria for people who might want to get screened.

Illustration of the twisting spirals of two DNA double helices in royal blue and purple on a turquoise colored background
Research
October 18, 2016 • 2 Min

A New Drug Combination to Control Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

A clinical trial for pancreatic cancer patients with the BRCA mutation tests the effectiveness of standard treatment plus a PARP inhibitor.

Microscope image of four pancreatic cells with pinkish edges and green centers, against a dark background
Research
October 10, 2016 • 2 Min

A Novel Combination to Slow Pancreas Tumors that Cannot Be Surgically Removed

Can a combination of standard drugs, a PARP inhibitor, and intensity modulated radiation therapy to slow pancreatic tumor growth?

Dr. Christine Iacobuzio-Donahue
Research
September 30, 2016 • 4 Min

Pancreatic Cancer Tissue Helps Unlock the Disease’s Secrets

Dr. Christine Iacobuzio-Donahue at Memorial Sloan Kettering is using techniques from evolutionary biology to learn how pancreatic cancer grows.

A confocal microscopy image of a fibroblast showing the football-shaped nucleus (blue), dots of mitochondria (red), and wispy strands of the actin cytoskeleton (green), all against a black background
Research
September 27, 2016 • 2 Min

High-Dose Focused Radiation after Surgical Removal of Pancreatic Tumors

A clinical trial looks at the effectiveness of stereotactic body radiation therapy in killing cancer cells in the margins after pancreatic tumor removal.

Cancer researcher Sunil Hingorani
Research
September 19, 2016 • 4 Min

New Drug Shows Positive Results in Early Trials

A new drug called PEGPH20, which helps chemotherapy drugs reach their target, is showing positive results in an ongoing pancreatic cancer trial.

Close up of a microscope in lighting with blues, purples and greens
Research
September 14, 2016 • 2 Min

Slowing the Growth of Pancreatic Tumors Before Surgery

A chemoradiation clinical trial tests standard chemotherapy plus an anti-malaria drug and compares two types of radiation treatments, to slow tumor growth.

Micrograph of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma showing cells in pink and dark purple with white spaces between.
Research
August 31, 2016 • 2 Min

A New Chemotherapy and Radiation Regimen to Shrink Tumors Before Surgery

Researchers are testing a new combination of chemotherapies and radiation to shrink pancreatic cancer tumors and make surgical removal possible.

Micrograph of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Research
August 23, 2016 • 4 Min

Solving the Mystery of Cachexia

Researchers are looking for ways to combat cachexia, the metabolic syndrome that causes weight and muscle loss in people with cancer and other diseases.

Microscopy image of a tumor section (obtained from a mouse tumor model) shows the blue-stained nanoparticles selectively accumulating in the peripheral tumor area and then penetrating into tumor cells
Research
August 18, 2016 • 2 Min

Exploring the Effectiveness of an Experimental Class of Drug

Does adding a PARP inhibitor drug to standard treatment help control the spread of advanced pancreatic cancer in patients with the BRCA mutation?

Illustration of the DNA double helix in red, blue, purple, yellow, orange, and green. There is a main spiral in the center and two faded spirals on the left and right.
Research
August 10, 2016 • 2 Min

Using a Colon Cancer Drug to Treat Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

A clinical trial tests the effectiveness of an approved colon cancer drug against advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer.