According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cancer killer in the country, with more than 42,000 new cases expected to be diagnosed this year and more than 35,000 deaths. In New Jersey alone, 1,000 deaths are estimated from the disease, which only has a five-year, five-percent survival rate.
That is why researchers at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) have launched a new clinical trial, which aims to determine the effectiveness of an advanced radiation therapy technique on those with pancreatic cancer. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Radiation therapy involves using a beam of high-energy particles or waves such as x-rays to destroy or damage cancer cells. In this study, researchers through the Department of Radiation Oncology at CINJ and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital will use a treatment called Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which is considered a more sophisticated delivery technique that can increase the amount of radiation to the pancreatic tumor while keeping the dose to normal organs at a safe level. This is done through multiple computer-controlled radiation beams. In this trial, the amount of radiation to the tumor site will be gradually increased throughout the treatment period to determine the maximum safe dosage.
Salma Jabbour, MD, who is a radiation oncologist at CINJ and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is the lead investigator of the study. She notes IMRT can afford a patient an improved quality of life, “By being able to provide a specified amount of radiation to a targeted area, we will be able to preserve more healthy tissue and reduce side effects that may cause interruptions in the treatment cycle.”
Selected patients will undergo various testing before and during treatment, including x-rays, blood work and physical exams. For most of the six-month treatment period, participants will receive a combination of both IMRT and chemotherapy. Regular follow-up visits would be required for at least the first two years.