One of the holy grails of pancreatic cancer research is finding ways to detect the disease before it begins its lethal spread. As artificial intelligence (AI) enters the healthcare space, one area under serious exploration is its role in early detection of diseases such as pancreatic cancer. An ambitious Johns Hopkins study called the Felix Project (Felix) has been examining the role of AI in earlier detection, to help clinicians and researchers corral this disease. Felix is a multiyear deep learning research study which began in 2016 and is inspired by the Harry Potter series and the whimsi ..read more

Greg Jacobson Pain leads to pancreatic and duodenal cancer diagnosis Whipple procedure Second opinion before chemo includes genetic testing Lynch syndrome finding changes chemo protocol Other cancers related to Lynch In the spring of 2015 I started having pain in my upper left abdominal region and suffered from constant nausea. The pain eventually spread throughout my back and to the area where my liver resides. My doctor ordered blood tests, a CT scan, a PET scan, an endoscopy, and even a colonoscopy. It turned out that I had stage III pancreatic and duodenal cancer. Recovery: A Constant ..read more

When it comes to picking the right surgeon for a complex surgery like the Whipple procedure (also known as pancreaticoduodenectomy), it quite literally can be a life-or-death choice. So where do you even begin? Ideally, you would want someone experienced to undertake the complex six-hour surgery. The American Cancer Society recommends finding surgeons and hospitals that perform at least 20 Whipples each year, and the more experienced the surgeon the better off you may be. So, how do you do this? Interviewing Your Surgeon Once you are directed to a surgeon, you probably want to interview them ..read more

GI oncologists are feeling quite optimistic about recently released data comparing two different treatments for patients with a specific type of neuroendocrine tumor. While clinical trials of new drugs or drug combinations can sometimes show great improvements for patients, it’s rare for a trial to knock it out of the park. But that is what trial results show for the activity of a radiopharmaceutical therapy called Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) in patients newly diagnosed with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). Data from the phase III NETTER-2 trial, release ..read more

Maryanne Winchester Sudden sharp pains in lower right abdomen led to diagnosis FOLFIRINOX, FOLFIRI, Gemzar for chemo Y90, pancreatectomy, two liver resections Life Is Good! When I was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma in November 2021, I was stunned and shocked. My symptoms struck me one day, then nothing. It had to be a testy appendix! From a full life to a life with no hope. Stage IV cancer. Hopeless. Then I changed my thinking. Stage IV is just a label. It does not mean immediate death. I would be living proof of that. A 12 percent survival rate is grim, until you think ..read more

Doron Broman was only 44 when he was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. He wanted to at least see his high school-age daughter through college, so he searched for the best doctor he could find. With molecular profiling Doron’s doctor found a BRCA2 mutation, which opened up other lines of treatment. Read Doron’s story in “Molecular Sequencing Leads to Customized Treatment.” Why is a family medical history important? Learn more What are the risk factors for pancreatic cancer? Learn more Tags BRCA-2 long-term survivor molecular profiling Follow Us @letswinpc facebook.com/le ..read more

Current chemotherapy regimens are often limited in the amount of drugs they can safely deliver to patients without becoming toxic or causing too many adverse side effects. A Korean company is hoping to expand the efficacy of existing cancer drugs like paclitaxel by packaging them in nanoparticles programmed to deliver the medication directly into pancreatic tumor cells. Onselex has developed what it calls an “intelligent cancer drug” able to home in on tumors and deeply penetrate tissues for extremely precise drug delivery. The company’s lead candidate, ONX-1006, encapsulates the drug paclit ..read more

Knowledge is power. And when it comes to a disease like pancreatic cancer, knowledge can translate into potentially better outcomes for not only the patient but their family members as well. One way to improve the odds for family members of pancreatic cancer patients is through genetic testing and counseling. Unfortunately, many families fall through the proverbial cracks. For some it’s due to distance from a large academic medical center where testing and counseling may be more readily available. For others it’s simply through lack of knowledge. A study called GENERATE found that remote lea ..read more

Matthew Rosenblum Symptoms of obstructive jaundice led to diagnosis Whipple attempted but metastatic disease found Two different types of chemotherapy to lead to second, successful Whipple Genetic testing confirmed BRCA2 mutation Maintenance with a PARP inhibitor In January 2021, my skin began to itch terribly—it felt like torture. I had moved to North Carolina from Michigan to help a friend with a business during the pandemic when I started having the itching and other mysterious symptoms—pale stools, dark urine, and yellowish eyes. All of these symptoms pointed to obstructive jaundice ..read more

If you have pancreatic cancer, getting the nutrients you need can be a challenge. You might have a poor appetite and struggle to consume enough calories to maintain a healthy weight. You might even feel nauseous at the thought of eating—and for good reason. According to Maria Petzel, a registered dietitian at MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas), the pancreas plays a key role in digestion. The fish-shaped organ not only produces and releases enzymes that break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, but it also regulates blood sugar levels, controlling the release of insulin and gluca ..read more