Advancements In Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month 2023: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly forms of cancer, often diagnosed at advanced stages with limited treatment options. However, recent years have witnessed significant advancements in the field of pancreatic cancer treatment, particularly with the emergence of targeted therapies. As per Dr. Deepak Koppaka, Consultant - Medical Oncology, CARE Hospitals, HITEC City, Hyderabad,these innovative approaches promise to improve patient outcomes and reshape the landscape of pancreatic cancer care.

Understanding Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is characterized by the abnormal growth of cells in the pancreas, a vital organ responsible for producing digestive enzymes and insulin. It is notorious for its aggressive nature, late-stage diagnosis, and limited response to conventional treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The lack of early symptoms often leads to delayed detection, contributing to the grim prognosis associated with this disease.

Targeted Therapies

Molecular Profiling and Personalized Medicine: One of the critical breakthroughs in pancreatic cancer treatment is the advent of molecular profiling, which allows for a deeper understanding of the genetic and molecular alterations driving the cancer's growth. This knowledge has paved the way for personalized medicine, where treatment strategies are tailored to the specific genetic makeup of an individual's tumour. Targeted therapies focus on disrupting particular molecular pathways in cancer progression, offering a more precise and practical approach.

PARP Inhibitors: Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have shown promise in treating pancreatic cancer, especially in patients with specific genetic mutations, such as those in the BRCA genes. Clinical trials have demonstrated encouraging results, opening new avenues for integrating PARP inhibitors into standard pancreatic cancer treatment regimens.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors: Targeting angiogenesis has become a focus in cancer therapy, and several angiogenesis inhibitors have been investigated for pancreatic cancer.

Immunotherapies

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Immunotherapy has emerged as a revolutionary approach to cancer treatment, and pancreatic cancer is no exception. Immune checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab and nivolumab block proteins like PD-1 and PD-L1 that inhibit the immune response allowing T cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells. While the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in pancreatic cancer is still being explored, early clinical trials have shown promising results, offering hope for patients who may not respond well to traditional therapies.

Adoptive Cell Therapies: Adoptive cell therapies involve manipulating a patient's immune cells, such as T cells, outside the body and reintroducing them to target and destroy cancer cells. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) is a notable example of adoptive cell therapy. While CAR-T therapies have shown remarkable success in certain blood cancers, their application in solid tumours like pancreatic cancer is an active area of research. Overcoming the challenges associated with the pancreatic tumour microenvironment remains a focus to enhance the effectiveness of adoptive cell therapies.

Reference Link

https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/pancreatic-cancer/advancements-in-pancreatic-cancer-treatment-targeted-therapies-and-immunotherapies-1035515/