New therapy for pancreatic cancer

New therapy for pancreatic cancer: people are still being sought

06/07/2013

Scientists at the University Hospital in Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) want to increase the chances of survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. The new form of therapy should be followed by radiation and chemotherapy before surgery.

Rarely but very dangerous
A pancreatic tumor (pancreatic cancer) is rare, but if it occurs very dangerous. After the diagnosis of a pancreatic tumor, five years later only six (men) and eight (women) percent of those affected live. This is the lowest survival rate among all cancers. Prof. Maximilian Bockhorn from UKE explained: „The chances of recovery are unfortunately very poor in this disease, as the tumor is often diagnosed at a late stage.“ It claims that about 15,000 people develop pancreatic cancer each year.

Increase chances of survival
Scientists at the University Hospital in Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) now want to increase the chances of survival of patients with pancreatic cancer with a nationwide study. The researchers will be supported in the next six years by the German Research Foundation with a total of 2.8 million euros, the UKE on Friday. 19 hospitals are involved in the examination nationwide and from August of this year the first patients will be treated. A total of 410 patients will participate in the study who have no metastases and have not yet been treated.

Study participants searched
According to the UKE researchers, initial US findings suggest that patients may experience better chances of survival if they receive radiation before surgery and receive chemotherapy. This should be checked with the new study. So far, it has been the other way round and the tumor has been surgically removed before any possible remaining cancer cells should be destroyed by chemotherapy. „The primary goal is to significantly improve patients' long-term survival - from 30 percent to 42 percent after three years. "Patients interested in participating in the study can contact the clinic's secretary: Telephone (040) 7410-52401. (Ad)

Picture: Rainer Sturm