Pancreatic Cancer News and Research

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Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of all cancer deaths in the United States and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in individuals ages 40 to 60. Approximately 37,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, and, each year, approximately the same number die from it. Often, pancreatic cancer is found too late for surgical intervention, and chemotherapy and radiation treatments have little effect.

NCI awards Provocative Questions grant to Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers

Two Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers are among a select group of scientists from around the world who have been recognized by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for their quest to answer the most pressing questions about cancer. Stuart Aaronson, MD, Professor and Chair of Oncological Sciences and Ross Cagan, PhD, Professor of Oncological Sciences at Mount Sinai, have received the NCI's new "Provocative Questions" grant, which was established to explore the important yet less obvious questions about cancer that may have been neglected in this era of significant discovery.

21 Sep 2012

Gum disease bacteria linked to pancreatic cancer risk

People with high levels of antibodies to bacteria linked to periodontal disease have an increased risk for pancreatic cancer, while the risk is reduced in those with increased antibodies to oral commensal bacteria, say researchers.

20 Sep 2012

PCAN praises U.S. House for passage of Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act

Today, the United States House of Representatives passed unanimously the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act (H.R. 733), formerly known as the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act.

20 Sep 2012

Study finds links between antibodies for multiple oral bacteria and risk of pancreatic cancer

A new study finds significant associations between antibodies for multiple oral bacteria and the risk of pancreatic cancer, adding support for the emerging idea that the ostensibly distant medical conditions are related.

19 Sep 2012

KRAS gene mutation recruits second player to trigger pancreatic cancer

More than a cancer-causing gene is needed to trigger pancreatic cancer, a study led by Mayo Clinic has found. A second factor creates a "perfect storm" that allows tumors to form, the researchers say. The study, published in the Sept. 10 issue of Cancer Cell, overturns the current belief that a mutation in the KRAS oncogene is enough to initiate pancreatic cancer and unrestrained cell growth.

11 Sep 2012

Study investigates effects of acidity on breast and pancreatic cancer cell lines

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of South Florida and Wayne State University have discovered that tumor cell survival relies on adaptation to acidic conditions in the tumor microenvironment.

7 Sep 2012

OncoMed announces data from demcizumab preclinical study on pancreatic cancer

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer, today announced the online publication in Clinical Cancer Research of preclinical data demonstrating the potent anti-cancer activity of anti-DLL4 (demcizumab) in patient-derived pancreatic tumor models.

7 Sep 2012

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals performs 500th Whipple procedure

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital continues to be the leader in the region in fighting the deadliest of cancers—pancreatic cancer. In August, Charles J. Yeo, MD, FACS, the Samuel D. Gross Professor and Chair of Surgery, and a co-director of the Jefferson Pancreas, Biliary and Related Cancer Center, performed his 500th Whipple procedure at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, a life-saving surgery for those suffering with the disease.

6 Sep 2012

NCCN announces new guidelines for patients with pancreatic Cancer

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), with the support of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, announces the latest addition to the library of NCCN Guidelines for PatientsTM, patient-friendly translations of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

30 Aug 2012

Top-line results from Rexahn’s Archexin Phase II study on metastatic pancreatic cancer

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing multi-indication therapeutics in oncology and CNS, today announced top-line results from a Phase II clinical study of Archexin, its clinical-stage oncology drug candidate.

29 Aug 2012

Quantitative look at the whole experience of patients with pancreatic cancer

Every year, nearly 45,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The odds against those stricken by the disease are truly dismal; pancreatic cancer almost always kills within two years after diagnosis, no matter how it is treated. Even aggressive intervention with chemotherapy, radiation or surgery rarely yields more than an extra month to a year of survival, depending on the stage of the disease.

24 Aug 2012

NIH awards $100,000 STTR Phase I Grant to Transgenomic for pancreatic cancer research

Transgenomic, Inc. today announced it has been awarded a $100,000 Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) Phase I Grant by the National Institutes of Health's National Center For Advancing Translational Sciences.

23 Aug 2012

RNA-delivering nanoparticles allow rapid screening of new drug targets in mice

By sequencing cancer-cell genomes, scientists have discovered vast numbers of genes that are mutated, deleted or copied in cancer cells. This treasure trove is a boon for researchers seeking new drug targets, but it is nearly impossible to test them all in a timely fashion.

16 Aug 2012

Amgen announces decision to stop ganitumab Phase 3 trial in advanced pancreatic cancer

Amgen today announced a decision to stop the ganitumab (AMG 479) Phase 3 GAMMA (Gemcitabine and AMG 479 in Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas) trial following the recommendation of an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) overseeing the trial.

9 Aug 2012

Clovis Oncology reports net loss of $15.7 million for second quarter 2012

Clovis Oncology, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter 2012, and provided an update on the progress of its clinical development programs and expected milestones for the rest of the year.

8 Aug 2012

Nanobiotix, PharmaEngine partner to develop NBTXR3 for cancer

French Nanobiotix S.A. announced today that it entered into a strategic partnership with PharmaEngine, Inc. for the rapid development of NBTXR3, the lead product from the NanoXray pipeline of Nanobiotix.

6 Aug 2012

FibroGen receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for FG-3019 to treat IPF

FibroGen, Inc., today announced that FG-3019, the Company's human monoclonal antibody against connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

31 Jul 2012