New research improves early detection and survival for pancreatic cancer
May 20, 2008
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Specifically, researchers will demonstrate that the development of, new biomarkers, novel treatment targets, innovative approaches to screening and surveillance and improved understanding of risk factors can lead to diagnosis of pancreatic cancer at earlier more treatable stages. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
“Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., taking 34,000 lives every year,“ said Mark P. Callery, MD, MACS, associate professor of surgery, Harvard Medical School, chief, division of general surgery Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “It’s vitally important that we make pancreatic cancer a research priority. Signs and symptoms of the disease may not present themselves until advanced stages, when surgical removal of the cancer is no longer possible. This year at DDW, advances in pancreatic cancer research are front and center, providing hope for those who suffer or may suffer from this disease.â€
The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is only four percent, but if detected at Stage 1, the survival rate can be as high as 33 percent.
Due to a lack of early detection and treatment options, pancreatic cancer is deadly. In fact, a vast majority of patients with pancreatic cancer die because the disease has spread so far that it can no longer be removed. However, a small percentage of pancreatic cancers are caught early enough for a curative surgery to allow removal of the tumor, which may result in improved survival.
Researchers are fervently searching for new, improved technologies that could either detect pancreatic cancer earlier or treat it once it’s detected. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is an expensive treatment, but shows great promise in helping to improve patient outcomes after a diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. Researchers for this study sought to learn about the association between EUS performance and pancreatic cancer survival. To achieve this, investigators reviewed the SEER-Medicare database of patients receiving treatment between January 1994 and December 2002. In all, the records of 4,236 patients with pancreatic cancer were assessed, and broken into two groups – those who received EUS (only 12 percent of the sample) and those who did not (88 percent).
Researchers found that after they controlled for age, race, gender and comorbidities, those who did receive EUS at the time of diagnosis had a longer average survival time (nine months) than those who did not receive EUS (five months).
“Good initial investigation by EUS makes a significant difference for patients with pancreatic cancer,†said Ananya Das, MD, associate chair of medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona. “Though the treatment is expensive and not available everywhere, it has shown to be a marker for better care and treatment planning.â€
Source: Digestive Disease Week
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