26
Nov 2019
Hope raised for treating pancreatic tumours as scientists discover new drug combination
Scientists have discovered that certain drugs, when taken together, can shrink pancreatic tumours, raising hope for what is known as the deadliest form of cancer, with recent figures suggesting that as little as five per cent of patients surviving for five years after being diagnosed.
The researchers found that a one-two punch combination of the MEK inhibitor and L-asparaginase drugs starves tumours of key nutrients needed to grow, and stops them adapting to survive.
Pancreatic cancer currently affects 9,000 people in the UK and nearly 57,000 in the US every year. It is notoriously difficult to treat and as early symptoms are hard to spot, it often isn’t diagnosed until at an advanced stage. Around 25 per cent of patients die within one month of being diagnosed, and three quarters die within a year.
Experts are hopeful that the new study, which up until now has been conducted on laboratory mice, will permit trials of the drug combination to be fast-tracked.
Dr Ze’ev Ronai, senior author of the study, said “The sad reality is at present, pancreatic cancer therapy is lagging since there is no effective treatment for these tumours. Our study identifies a potential treatment combination that can immediately be tested against these aggressive tumours.”
Chris Macdonald, head of research of charity Pancreatic Cancer UK, said that although the findings were promising, he urged caution, adding “Halting pancreatic cancer’s metabolism, the way in which cancer cells fuel their rapid growth, is a promising area in the field and it’s encouraging that researchers are seeing such positive results in mice.
“However, we must proceed with cautious optimism. Pancreatic cancer is insidious and is notoriously good at circumventing the body’s defences.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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