Blog

35 Articles

Genetic counselors Jill Stopfer and Heather Hampel
Disease Management
February 18, 2020 • 8 Min

Decoding the Differences between At-Home and Medical Genetic Testing

Genetic counselors Jill Stopfer and Heather Hampel explain the differences between at-home and medical genetic testing, including precision and knowledge.

Researcher Ken Olive
Research
February 13, 2020 • 5 Min

Clinical Trial For OncoTreat Being Developed

Medical research falls into one of three buckets: basic, clinical, and translational. Basic research is all about the nuts and bolts, demystifying at a fundamental level what makes a lethal disease like pancreatic cancer tick. Clinical research is all about patients, and finding out through rigorously controlled trials whether certain new drugs or other approaches […]

PARP inibitor olaparib
Research
December 23, 2019 • 5 Min

Looking Back at the Year in Research: 2019

Research highlights of 2019 include: approval of a PARP inhibitor, artificial intelligence to diagnose pancreatic cysts, and updated radiation guidelines.

cancer cells under microscope
Research
August 27, 2019 • 5 Min

Platinum-Based Therapy Can Significantly Improve Survival for Some Pancreatic Cancer Patients

Dr. Michael Pishvaian explains how platinum-based therapy can improve the survival of pancreatic cancer patients with a specific mutation.

Kentaro Sudo lab
Research
May 15, 2019 • 5 Min

Representing Genetic and Clinical Diversity in Pancreatic Cancer

Dr. Kentaro Sudo explores the possible causes for different responses to drugs among ethnic groups, pointing to the need for clinical diversity in trials.

Dr. Vinod Balachandran
Research
March 13, 2019 • 5 Min

Pancreatic Cancer Exceptional Responders and the Immune System Link

Dr. Vinod Balachandran looks at the immune system of exceptional responders–patients who respond extremely well to chemotherapy–for treatment clues.

multicolor abstract computer created image of series of squares that look like a DNA helix
Research
February 7, 2019 • 2 Min

Testing a Different Approach to Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

A drug that is epigenetic therapy, which alters how DNA behaves, is being tested in a clinical trial for pancreatic cancer.

Gloria Peterson, Ph.D.
Research
February 4, 2019 • 5 Min

Genetic Testing for All Pancreatic Cancer Patients

A study by Dr. Gloria Petersen’s research team has led to an official recommendation that all pancreatic cancer patients get genetic testing.

Old medicine bottles
Research
January 22, 2019 • 4 Min

A PARP Inhibitor Approval for Pancreatic Cancer

PARP inhibitors, a type of targeted therapy, are being studied as treatment for pancreatic cancer in a number of clinical trials.

laboratory glassware
Research
September 12, 2018 • 3 Min

Tough Tortoise of a Drug Beating Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals is testing RX-3117, a slow-releasing drug similar to gemcitabine, in a clinical trial for metastatic pancreatic cancer patients.

clear test tubes with black caps and wavy lines on them sit upright in a solid metal rack, with red, white, and blue light shined on them
Research
October 9, 2017 • 1 Min

Investigating a Drug Used for Other Cancers

In a clinical trial, researchers are adding the drug decitabine to gemcitabine, for patients with advanced cancer that is not responding to treatment.

Dr. Bert Vogelstein
Research
July 27, 2017 • 4 Min

Most Cancer Mutations Are Random DNA Mistakes

In a large study, Dr. Bert Vogelstein of Johns Hopkins found that a majority of cancers, including pancreatic cancer, are caused by random mutations of DNA.

Dr. Luis Diaz
Research
July 14, 2017 • 5 Min

An Immunotherapy Game Changer

Immunotherapy with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is approved for use in cancer patients with certain genetic defects in their tumors.

Bloos sample tubes
Research
February 6, 2017 • 5 Min

Developing a Screening Test for Pancreatic Cancer

One focus of research for Dr. Anirban Maitra is to develop a simple screening test for pancreatic cancer, to provide an earlier diagnosis of the disease.

Microscope image of lipid bubbles
Research
December 19, 2016 • 3 Min

New Biopsy Shows Promise For Pancreatic Cancer Patients

Trovagene is developing a liquid biopsy for pancreatic cancer patients, to allow doctors to test for cancer and track treatment response.