Over the past three decades, the treatment of both primary and secondary liver malignancies has been improved by the development and optimization of multiple minimally invasive thermal ablative therapies. These advances have resulted in a myriad of benefits for patients including decreased morbidity, mortality, as well as increased longevity and quality of life. However, these therapies can only be performed within certain parameters. Thermal ablative techniques such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MVA) are recommended for small lesions under 3 cm due to decreased efficacy when attempting to treat larger lesions. Additionally, large vessels in close proximity to a target lesion may result in heat dissipation, termed the "heat sink" effect, and result in incomplete ablation of the lesion. Furthermore, thermal ablative techniques cause off-target damage when utilized near sensitive structures such as the diaphragm, stomach, or bowel, and if performed near thermosensitive bile ducts, can result in cholestasis . Noting these limitations, percutaneous high-dose-rate brachytherapy was brought into clinical practice by Ricke et al. in Europe in 2002 . This therapy utilizes an iridium-192 (192Ir) isotope to administer a cytotoxic dose of radiation to a target lesion. It is not susceptible to heat sink effects and can also deliver radiation with the precision necessary to cause tumor death without destroying the integrity of neighboring structures. Additionally, it can be used to treat larger tumors (>3cm) as it is not associated the same size limitations as ablative techniques and can also be utilized to treat lesions that are not amenable to intra-arterial therapies (such as trans-arterial chemoembolization and yttrium-90 radioembolization).
Since its inception, HDRBT has been evaluated through multiple studies investigating its use to treat lesions throughout the body including both primary and secondary liver malignancies such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma, metastasis to the liver from colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer , melanoma , and breast cancer . Its use in treating lymph node metastases has also been investigated . These studies have demonstrated the feasibility, safety, and clinical effectiveness of this method, establishing it as a therapeutic option when use of thermal ablation therapies is restricted. Most studies however, have been retrospective and have been performed outside the United States.
Studying this therapy will add a crucial treatment option to our current armamentarium, filling a gap in currently available therapies and additionally allowing for further investigation of the use of HDRBT in a larger and more diverse population.
The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness and safety of the drug combination of gemcitabine and capecitabine (Xeloda) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
This study will assess the efficacy and safety of BL-8040 in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) and BL-8040/ Pembrolizumab in combination with liposomal irinotecan (Onivyde®)/5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV) in subjects with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
The aim of this study is to investigate if the systematic implementation of pre-emptive geno- and phenotyping, and therefore a dose reduction based on the French guidelines and the literature during the first month of treatment, reduces grade 3 or greater toxicity in patients treated with 5-FU (5-fluorouracil) or capecitabine.
Therefore, a monocentric, partial prospective and partial retrospective trail was designed.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.
PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of ISIS 2503 in treating patients who have advanced cancer of the pancreas.
This randomized phase III trial is studying gemcitabine and bevacizumab to see how well they work compared to gemcitabine alone in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Monoclonal antibodies such as bevacizumab can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of tumor cells by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Combining gemcitabine with bevacizumab may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether gemcitabine is more effective with or without bevacizumab in treating pancreatic cancer.
Accurate staging of patients with pancreatic cancer is critical to avoid the expense, morbidity, and mortality related to unnecessary surgery. While several tests are available for assessing such patients, consensus has not been achieved on the optimal approach. As a matter of fact, pancreatic cancer staging is discussed controversially due to conflicting evidence and certainly EUS has lost grounds due to improvements in CT technology. Thus, the role of EUS and EUS-guided FNA varies among treatment centers.
The present study is designed to better define the role of EUS in predicting resectability, as compared to high resolution cross-sectional imaging.
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy such as gemcitabine use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. 3-AP may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for tumor cell growth and may help gemcitabine kill more cancer cells by making them more sensitive to the drug.
PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving gemcitabine together with 3-AP works in treating patients with unresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer.
The aims of this three-year study are to:
1. explore the change of fatigue, nutritional status, quality of life and care needs in patients with operable pancreatic cancer perioperatively and following surgery within 3 months.
2. develop and evaluate the effect of patient-centered cancer prehabilitation care program on improving fatigue, nutritional status and quality of life (QOL) in this population.
Retrospective, multicenter study including pts with metastatic pancreatic cancer who started first-line treatment with napaclitaxel plus Gemcitabine between December 2013 and June 2015 according to the routine practice. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed for the total sample and the exploratory subgroups based on treatment and clinical characteristics of the study pts.
