Let’s start with some good news. In Italy, the number of people alive after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the most difficult tumors to treat, is increasing. In 2024 there were 23,600, compared to 21,200 in 2021, an increase of 10% in 3 years. In short, there are important steps forward. But in any case it is a potentially very serious form of cancer, especially if the diagnosis is not reached very early. Above all, there is still no decrease in cases, equal to 13,585 (6,873 are men and 6,712 women) in our country in 2024. And only in one patient in 5 is the disease identified when it is still localized and it is possible to proceed with surgical removal, with a greater chance of survival.
In this area, however, there is no shortage of new research, such as the good news that comes from a Spanish study coordinated by Mariano Barbacid, director of the Experimental Oncology group at the Spanish National Center for Cancer Research (Cnio) and published in PNAS.
A hat trick of drugs
The study shows how in mice (so we are still behind in the research process) the elimination of ductal adenocarcinoma tumor cells, the most common pancreatic cancer, was achieved. All with the reduction of side effects. At the basis of the pancreatic treatment of the Spanish researchers there are three drugs combined together which interfere with the growth mechanisms of the neoplastic units. The targets? For two drugs EGFR together with Stat3, proteins fundamental for the growth of tumor cells, and the other on the KRAS oncogene.
At the moment, it must be said, there is still no possibility of proceeding with clinical trials on humans with these therapies. In the meantime, we remind you that it is essential to know the risk factors and symptoms of the disease at their onset, to obtain a timely diagnosis. To date, in fact, there is no standard test for early diagnosis in the general population. The opportunities for early diagnosis are being evaluated, particularly in the people most at risk, also with the help of molecular investigations on blood samples. New drugs that target RAS, one of the main molecular alterations present in 90% of cases of pancreatic tumors, or new immunotherapy approaches based on therapeutic vaccines, are some examples that give hope for the future.
Recently, on the occasion of the World Day dedicated to the disease, developments in studies were discussed at a conference held at the National Cancer Institute IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale in Naples.
“In recent years there has been a growing vitality in research on pancreatic cancer, thanks above all to the introduction of new drugs such as RAS inhibitors. The confirmation comes in particular from the latest European Congress of Medical Oncology (ESMO), held in Berlin last October, where clinical studies were presented whose results open up new horizons for the treatment of this pathology which is destined to become one of the most frequent neoplasms in the next thirty years”
explained Antonio Avallone, Director of the SC of Abdominal Medical Oncology – Department of Abdominal Oncology.
Watch out for suspicious symptoms
Pancreatic cancer is very insidious in its clinical manifestation, since the symptoms are often atypical, nonspecific and common to very frequent pathologies. For a correct and timely diagnosis it is essential to contact a specialized center, such as the Pancreas Unit, with a predefined and integrated diagnostic-therapeutic care path, competent staff and high volumes of treatment.
“In recent years, in Italy, there has been a slight improvement in net survival 5 years after diagnosis, equal to 11% in men and 12% in women”
commented Francesco Perrone, President of the AIOM Foundation.
“But that’s not enough. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the great challenges for oncology, in which we still have a long way to go both in terms of research and prevention. Symptoms such as stomach and back pain, poor digestion and weight loss are often confused with those of other pathologies. Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor, without forgetting obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption and, more generally, an incorrect diet. Diabetes, pancreatitis also play a role. chronic and some hereditary diseases”.
How the pancreas works
The pancreas is a fundamental organ for the body. Both because it secretes enzymes that allow the digestion of food, and because it produces insulin and glucagon, the two hormones which with opposite actions keep the blood glucose rate under control. And luckily he doesn’t get sick too often. But if something isn’t working, the pancreas, which is located in the abdomen and has the shape of a fish with a large head and a long tail, can experience particularly serious inflammation. Sometimes it goes into “tilt” due to the blockage of circulation within the channels that carry the pancreatic juices necessary to completely digest and assimilate proteins, sugars and fats. In this case you can have acute pancreatitis, because the enzymes, instead of “dedicating themselves” to the food that has recently passed through the stomach, are unleashed against the pancreatic cells.
