Pre-Surgery Immunotherapy Shows Promise
New research suggests that combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy before surgery may offer promising outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients. Typically challenging to treat, pancreatic cancer has a low survival rate, with only a small percentage of patients surviving beyond five years post-diagnosis despite various treatment options like chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies.
The study, conducted by researchers at UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, revealed several benefits of the pre-surgery regimen. Patients who received this combined treatment showed higher rates of successful tumor removal, prolonged periods before cancer progression, and increased overall survival compared to those who underwent traditional treatments.
Dr. Timothy Donohue, the senior author of the study, emphasized the importance of treating patients before surgery to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug combination. This approach also allowed researchers to explore the underlying mechanisms contributing to its success.
Dr. Zev Wainberg, the first author of the study, noted that this trial represents one of the earliest instances of using a PD1-inhibitor drug before pancreatic cancer surgery. PD1-inhibitor drugs, such as Keytruda and Opdivo, enhance the immune system’s ability to combat cancer cell growth and spread.
The study included 28 pancreatic cancer patients with borderline resectable tumors, indicating that their tumors had infiltrated adjacent tissues or organs. Of these patients, the majority completed at least three cycles of the combined chemo/immunotherapy treatment before undergoing surgery.
Genetic sequencing of surgically removed tumors and pre-treatment biopsies revealed promising outcomes, with patients demonstrating a median progression-free survival of 34.8 months and a median overall survival of 35.1 months at a median follow-up of 24 months. Remarkable responses were observed among patients who underwent pancreatic removal, highlighting the potential efficacy of this approach.
The findings of the study hold promise for improving treatment options for pancreatic cancer patients, with ongoing phase 2 trials aiming to further investigate the benefits of this preoperative treatment strategy and potentially redefine the standard of care for pancreatic cancer.
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