OSI-774 (Tarceva) Plus Gemcitabine in Patients With Locally Advanced, Unresectable or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer.

The purpose of this study is to determine if OSI-774 will improve overall survival when combined with a standard dose of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine, to individuals with pancreatic cancer.

A Study of Metformin With or Without Rapamycin as Maintenance Therapy After Induction Chemotherapy in Subjects With Pancreatic Cancer

This is a phase 1b, multi-center, open label, randomized study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of administering metformin with or without rapamycin after disease stabilization on chemotherapy in subjects with metastatic PDA.

Pioglitazone as Second-Line in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer After Treatment With Gemcitabine

RATIONALE: Pioglitazone may slow the growth of tumor cells and may be an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying how well pioglitazone works as second-line therapy in treating patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer that progressed after treatment with gemcitabine.

The Effects of Neoadjuvant Metformin on Tumour Cell Proliferation and Tumour Progression in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

This is a single arm, non-randomized phase II study of neoadjuvant metformin in resectable PDAC. Twenty patients will be enrolled and treated with metformin 500 mg BD for a minimum of 7 days, until 2 days prior to surgery. Patients will undergo laboratory investigations at baseline, prior to surgery and 4-10 weeks after surgery. Patients eligible for and consented to the optional MRI substudy will undergo diffusion-weighted MRI 1 to 14 days before surgery.

At surgery, resected tumour and normal tissue will be collected and banked. FFPE specimens will be used for sectioning, histological analysis and IHC for Ki67 (cell proliferation marker), pAMPK, ACC targets, p53 and mTOR targets, apoptotic markers (Bax, Bcl-2, caspases 3, 8 and 9). Fresh frozen tumour and matched normal tissue samples will be used for western blot analysis of insulin and IGF receptors, total and activated ERK and Akt, and RNAseq analysis. Pre-metformin biopsy samples will be retrieved for molecular analysis.

Fasting blood samples at baseline and before surgery will be analyzed for glucose and insulin levels. Plasma and whole blood will also be processed and banked for circulating tumour DNA analysis. Urine samples will be sent for metabolomic profiling.

Safety Study of Radiofrequency Ablation of Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

The purpose of the study is to determine the safety of radiofrequency ablation of locally advanced pancreatic cancer that can not be surgically removed with the current standard procedures. Complications after the operation will be registered. Moreover a pain score will be determined, length of hospital stay, chemotherapy, survival, progression free survival and a tumour marker.

Two-in-one Covered and Uncovered Metal Stent

Endoscopic placement of a self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) is the principle method for palliation of inoperable malignant distal biliary obstruction. However, none of bare, covered, and anti-reflux metal stent alone constantly demonstrated superiority over the others in the stent patency. To compensate for the limitations of each stent, a double stent system in which both covered and bare SEMSs are integrated into one stent system was introduced. In the current study, the investigators aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this stent in patients with inoperable malignant distal biliary obstruction.

Perioperative MVT-5873, a Fully Human Monoclonal Antibody Against a CA 19-9 Epitope, for Operable CA 19-9 Producing Pancreatic Cancers, Cholangiocarcinomas, and Metastatic Colorectal Cancers

Background:

Gastrointestinal tumors have a molecule called carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) in the tumors and blood. The agent MVT-5873 was designed to block this molecule. Researchers want to test how safe it is to give this agent to people before and after surgery to remove a tumor. They want to learn the highest dose tolerated. They want to see if getting the agent at surgery helps slow down the disease.

Objective:

To test the safety of giving MVT-5873 at surgery to remove cancer and see if it slows the progression of the disease.

Eligibility:

Adults at least 18 years old with certain cancers and certain blood CA19-9 levels

Design:

Participants will be screened with:

* Medical history
* Physical exam
* Blood and heart tests
* Scans
* Review of normal activities
* Review of tumor sample
* Pregnancy test

A few days before surgery, participants will get a dose of the study agent. They will get it through a small plastic tube in a vein over about 2 hours.

Participants will sign a separate consent and have the surgery. A sample of the tumor and normal liver will be removed for research.

For 1-2 weeks after surgery, participants will recover in intensive care then regular care at the hospital. They will be monitored and treated throughout the stay.

After leaving the hospital, participants will get the study agent every week for 1 month. Then they will get it every other week for 2 months. They will repeat screening tests at study visits and at a follow-up visit. That will be about 5 weeks after the last dose.

CT-95 in Advanced Cancers Associated With Mesothelin Expression

This is a Phase 1a/1b open-label, dose escalation study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CT-95 (study drug), a humanized T cell engaging bispecific antibody targeting Mesothelin, in subjects with advanced solid tumors associated with Mesothelin expression.

Oncologic Outcomes Based on Clinical Pattern of Preoperative PET-CT in Resected Pancreatic Cancer

The 18F-FDG-PET scan is currently being used for cancer diagnosis, staging, identifying hidden metastasis, and assessment of treatment responses in clinical oncology. Although there are important studies suggesting potential associations between PET-based parameters and oncologic outcomes, the calculation and official documentation of individual PET-based parameters might not be routine in clinical practice because these processes usually require time- and labor-consuming processes for the radiologists. In this study, the investigators prospectively determined clinical 18F-FDG-PET type according to degree of FDG-uptake in pancreatic cancer and compare oncologic outcomes between the types.

Trial Comparing EUS-guided Radiofrequency Ablation vs. EUS-guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis

Pancreatic cancer is the second most common gastrointestinal malignancy. Abdominal discomfort is a main symptom in patients with pancreatic cancer. Approximately 75% have pain at diagnosis and over 90% in advanced stages. Pain control is an important part of the plan of care for patients with pancreatic cancer.. The celiac plexus is a group of nerves that supply organs in the abdomen. EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN) has been widely used for pain management in patients with pancreatic cancer. Radiofrequency ablation of celiac ganglia or celiac plexus (EUS-RFA) is also being performed to alleviate abdominal pain in pancreatic cancer patients. However currently no comparative studies exist comparing EUS-CPN with EUS-RFA. The purpose of the study is to compare EUS-CPN with EUS-RFA for pain management in pancreatic patients, in order to determine which technique is better at improving pain in pancreatic cancer patients.