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Avner Nahmani

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PANCREAS CANCER


Overview

The pancreas is a thin, lumpy gland that lies between the stomach and spine. It is about 13 cm long and is joined by a special duct (the pancreatic duct) to the first part of the small bowel (called duodenum). The pancreas plays two major roles in the body to produce insulin, which controls the amount of sugar in the blood and to produce enzymes, which help in food digestion.

Pancreatic cancer begins in the lining of the pancreatic duct. It spreads into the body of the pancreas before spreading into the blood vessels and nerves around the pancreas, obstructing the bile duct. Cancer that develops in the pancreas may also spread via the lymphatic system or blood to other parts of the body.

If diagnosed early, cancerous tumours in the pancreas are usually removed by surgery. However, this is not always possible as the cancer is often detected after it has spread from the pancreas to outlying tissues and organs.

Currently, in Australia, only 15% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are eligible to undergo surgery to remove the cancer. And of the people who can undergo surgery, the five-year survival rate is only 10%-15% of patients with surgery alone.

Statistics


Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal of all adult cancers with barely 5% of patients surviving beyond 5 years, a rate of survival that no other cancer faces.

In Australia (2005) 2,181 people were diagnosed with the disease and there were almost as many deaths 2,016 in the same year.

What we are doing to improve treatments


The AGITG continuously strives towards advancing treatment outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer. Some of the trials include:

Current Trials
  1. LAP 07 – In patients with localised but inoperable pancreatic cancer, this study will determine if combined treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy is better than chemotherapy alone. Recruitment in this international trial began in June 2009 and is expected to be completed in 2012.
Trials in follow up
  1. ESPAC 3 – A European study of adjuvant chemotherapies in resectable (operable) pancreatic cancer. Initial outcomes of the trial were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in 2009. Follow-up continues on all patients.

  2. GOFURTGO – A clinical trial for pancreatic cancer patients whose cancer is not operable. The trial was closed in 2007. Final results were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in 2009, and a manuscript is being prepared for submission in early 2010.
Trials under-development
  1. Avner's Trial - Will focus on personalised medicine through bio-marker studies and tissue sample collection and analysis. It is being sponsored by the Avner Nahmani Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund. Click here to read more.