Gene Expression in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease. The 1-year and 5-year survival rate is approximately 20% and <5% respectively. The treatment options available are limited. Only around 10-20% of patients present early enough to undergo surgical resection. Furthermore, chemotherapy for more advanced pancreatic cancer leads to limited survival benefit and can cause significant side effects. One of the main obstacles to developing new treatments for pancreatic cancer is the limited understanding of how pancreatic cancer cells change/evolve/adapt following treatment.

This study is a pilot study to assess whether the investigators can track gene expression (using a technique called RNA sequencing) in pancreatic cancer cells between two separate time points. Investigators intend to take a tissue sample (biopsy) of the cancer using endoscopy ultrasound (EUS) and compare it with samples taken either at the time of surgery in those patients with resectable disease or follow-up EUS derived biopsies in irresectable cancers.

The interval between endoscopy and follow-up EUS or surgery will be approximately 2 to 3 weeks and reflects the standard period of time that patients wait from the time point at which the cancer is deemed to be operable (in the multi-disciplinary team meeting) to the actual operation.

If the investigators find that the samples (biopsies) taken at EUS and at surgery or follow-up EUS are comparable they plan to develop future clinical trials of similar design but with the addition of drug therapy. The investigators will use RNA sequencing to interrogate the effects of novel cancer drugs on gene expression within the tumour. This will give them information on how to select patients for therapy, how resistance develops to these treatments, and allow the investigators to better understand what treatments can be combined on a rational basis. However, prior to undertaking such studies it is important to understand how much variability there is in gene expression between sampling at 2 different time points at which two different techniques are used.

Impact of Pancreatic Endoscopic Drainage on Exocrine Pancreatic Function in Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

Background: exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (IPE), frequent in patients with pancreatic cancer, plays a major role in malnutrition and cachexia with a significant impact on survival, quality of life and tumor progression. IPE due to obstruction of the main pancreatic duct and atrophy of pancreatic parenchyma proximal to the tumor could be corrected by insertion of a pancreatic stent for improving nutritional status and consequently survival.

Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the impact of transpapilar drainage of the main pancreatic duct on exocrine pancreatic function, nutritional status, and life survival in patients with unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Methods: Impact of pancreatic endoscopic drainage on exocrine pancreatic function in patients with unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma (DEPARA) is a double-blind, prospective, multicentre, international clinical trial. Unresectable locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer (PDAC) will be diagnosed according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) criteria and the indication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) due to obstructive jaundice (>3mg/dl). PEI will be defined by reduced fecal elastase levels. The nutritional status will be determined by means of Mini-Nutritional Assessment score, sarcopenia score (SARC-F) and laboratory blood tests. Primary aim: Evaluation of the improvement and difference of pancreatic secretion as measured by fecal elastase at 2 weeks post-stenting (biliopancreatic versus biliary). Secondary aims: evaluation of the prevalence of PEI post-stenting (biliopancreatic versus biliary) and proportion of patients normalizing pancreatic function. The difference in terms of weight loss, maldigestion symptoms, GI-Qol, nutricional status and performance status. Survival at 2 weeks, 3 and 6 months, overall survival. Analyzes: fecal elastase value at 2 weeks post-stenting (absolute value of fecal elastase) compared between biliopancreatic stent group and biliary stent group.

Discussion: DEPARA will provide insight into the role of pancreatic stents for PEI, malnutrition and progression-free survival in the outcomes of PDAC unresectable.

IMaging Pilot Study of the αvβ6 Integrin Radiotracer [18F]-A20FMDV2 in PAtients With Solid Cancer Types

A substance called integrin alpha v beta six (αvβ6) is found to be increased in some cancer cells and can play an important role in the development and spread of cancer. If the levels of integrin αvβ6 in cancer cells can be measured by carrying out PET scans, we might be able to identify and potentially treat tumours.

FBA-A20FMDV2 is a substance that binds or sticks to integrin αvβ6. It may therefore be possible to find and measure the amount of integrin αvβ6 in tumours. To do this a small amount of radioactivity will be attached to FBA-A20FMDV2 and carry out a scan called a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan. FBA-A20FMDV2 attached to radioactivity is known as [18F]FBA-A20FMDV2 or a radiotracer, as a very small amount of tracer dose is given to humans.

So far such scans have been carried out in healthy volunteers and in patients with a lung condition called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This was to assess the safety of the radiotracer and how it is taken up in the body. However, such scans have not been performed in cancer patients. This study will help specifically investigate αvβ6 in patients with cancer and find out how [18F]FBA-A20FMDV2 is taken up in tumours. With this information, the ideal imaging method for patients with cancer can be developed.

Single-centre Propensity Score-matched Comparison of Laparoscopic Versus Open Pancreatoduodenectomy

Minimally invasive pancreatoduodenectomy is increasingly performed. However, technical challenges and a perceived higher risk of complications has hindered wide adoption of a minimally invasive approach.

This is a retrospective comparison of a prospectively kept database. The investigators compared surgical outcomes and survival after laparoscopic (LPD) versus open pancreatoduodenectomy (OPD). In order to reduce the effect of bias and confounding, baseline characteristics of both groups were matched using propensity score matching.

Fluorouracil and Oxaliplatin as First-line for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma not eligible for infusional fluorouracil, irinotecan and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) (PPS 2 or hyperbilirubinemia, among other causes) will be treated with mFLOX regimen (fluorouracil bolus and oxaliplatin). The primary endpoint is to assess the objective response rate according to RECIST criteria (version 1.1) and the secondary endpoints are time until clinical or radiological progression, overall survival, toxicity profile.

Mesenteric Approach vs. Conventional Approach for Pancreatic Cancer

The aim of this study is to evaluate the advantage of mesenteric approach during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The design of this study is multicenter randomized clinical trial, comparing oncological and surgical outcomes between mesenteric approach and conventional approach during PD for PDAC.

Dose-Escalation of MNPR-101-PCTA-177Lu in Solid Tumors

This is an open-label, uncontrolled, multi-center, phase 1a MNPR-101-PCTA-177Lu dose-escalation study in patients with solid tumor cancers. Patients must have participated in the imaging study MNPR-101-D001 (actively recruiting, diagnostic study of MNPR-101-DFO*-89Zr).

* TITE-BOIN will be used to objectively determine dose increase, no dose change, or dose decrease for each group of two patients.
* The treatment period consists of two 12-week cycles. Patients will receive three equal fractions of MNPR-101-PCTA-177Lu with radioactivity ranging from 480-2240 MBq on each of Cycle 1 Day 1, Cycle 1 Day 15, and Cycle 2 Day 1 (12 weeks after Cycle 1 Day 1).
* Patients will be followed for 12 weeks after their last dose of MNPR-101-PCTA-177Lu.
* Patients will be imaged at specific timepoints during the study.

High or Standard Intensity Radiation Therapy After Gemcitabine Hydrochloride and Nab-paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

This randomized phase II trial studies how well high or standard intensity radiochemotherapy after gemcitabine hydrochloride and paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation (nab-paclitaxel) work compared with gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel alone in treating patients with pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing or by stopping them from spreading. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs, such as capecitabine, may make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. Giving radiation therapy in different ways and adding chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether high intensity radiochemotherapy after gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel is more effective than standard intensity radiochemotherapy after gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel or gemcitabine hydrochloride and nab-paclitaxel alone in treating pancreatic cancer.

Effect of Preoperative Immunonutrition in Upper Digestive Tract

Randomized, double-blind, multicenter clinical trial that will evaluate the effects of immuno-nutrition in the preoperative period in patients with cancer of the upper digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, and pancreas). The aim is to compare the specific effect of the immunonutrients respect to an equivalent formula in caloric-protein value but without immunonutrients, in the surgical evolution of the cancer patient.

A Study of MGC026 in Participants With Advanced Solid Tumors

The study is designed to understand the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and preliminary antitumor activity of MGC026 in participants with relapsed or refractory, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors The study has a dose escalation portion and a cohort expansion portion of the study.

Participants will receive MGC026 by intravenous (IV) infusion. The dose of MGC026 will be assigned at the time of enrollment. Participants may receive up to 35 treatments if there are no severe side effects and as long as the cancer does not get worse. Participants will be monitored for side effects, and progression of cancer, have blood samples collected for routing laboratory work, and blood samples collected for research purposes.