Pancreatic cancer breakthrough: Study shows tumour regression, raising new hope

Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the most aggressive tumours. Not only does this cancer come with the worst prognosis, but also it shows resistance to treatment.

However, the recent research study performed by the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre offers a ray of hope for pancreatic cancer patients.

In a breakthrough, the researchers revealed the possibility of eliminating pancreatic tumours in mice and preventing their potential recurrence by using triple combination therapy.

According to findings published in the scientific journal PNAS, hitting three different weak spots in the KRAS oncogene molecular pathway at the same time can make tumours shrink for long periods.

The authors of study said in a statement, “These studies open a way to design new combination therapies that can improve the survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.”

“These results set the direction for the development of new clinical trials,” they added.

The blockage of oncogene even at a single point helps in avoiding the resistance. The team also adopted a “double-whammy” approach by combining KRAS inhibitor with a protein degrader. As a result, the researchers observed significant disappearance of tumours without side effects.

"We are not yet in a position to carry out clinical trials with triple therapy. The authors themselves warn that optimising this combination for patients will be a complex process, although they are confident that the finding will set the course for future trials," the team said.

In Spain, more than 10,300 cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed each year.