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Baylor to offer innovative clinical trial for one of the
deadliest cancers
P
ancreatic cancer is currently the fourth-leading a new, more effective clinical trial option; make inoperable pancause of cancer-related death in the U.S. with a five-year creas cancer operable. The support also includes funds to collect
survival rate of just seven percent. An estimated 72 per- samples from the patients in the clinical trial to discover reliable
cent of patients die within the first year of diagnosis.
biomarkers that are vital for early detection and for tracking during
What makes pancreatic cancer so difficult to treat? For one, the surgery or chemotherapy.
location of the pancreas deep in the abdominal cavUnder the direction of research investigators Dr.
ity is a factor hindering early detection, when the canBecerra and Scott Celinski, M.D., director of the
cerous cells could be surgically removed. In addition,
Pancreas Cancer Research and Treatment Center, this
pancreatic cancer may only cause vague symptoms
clinical trial will combine the inflammation-reducing
that could indicate many different conditions within
drug, anakinra, with a three-drug chemotherapy regithe abdomen or gastrointestinal tract. The signs and
men that was recently proven highly effective in a clinsymptoms — such as abdominal pain, back pain, yelical trial under the direction of Daniel Von Hoff,
low skin and eyes, and weight loss — don’t typically
M.D., senior research advisor and also physician-in-chief
occur until the disease is advanced.
at TGen, a research collaborator of Baylor. Anakinra
For these reasons, it is vital not only to develop
has recently shown great promise in a breast cancer clinDr. Carlos Becerra
more effective treatments for pancreas cancer, but
ical trial at Baylor, and since all the drugs to be used in
also to find biomarkers and tests for early detection
this trial already are FDA approved, it is expected to get
that will alert physicians to the presence of the disunderway before the end of the year.
ease before it progresses.
“By giving patients the most effective chemotherAccording to Carlos Becerra, M.D., medical
apy available before surgery, we can kill microscopic
director of the Swim Across America Innovative
cancer that has spread away from the original tumor
Clinical Trials Center and assistant chief of oncology,
and maximize our chances for a surgical cure of panthere is not a current standard of care for patients who
creas cancer,” said Dr. Celinski. “This trial is importare candidates for surgery or who have locally
ant in our pursuit of defeating pancreas cancer.”
advanced disease. Chemotherapy and radiation have
As additional funding becomes available, the samDr. Scott Celinski
been used prior to surgery with modest success.
ples collected from patients in the clinical trial will
However, a better approach is still needed.
be analyzed for circulating tumor-specific DNA. The aim of these
“If we’re able to reduce the size of the tumor and make it pull analyses is to help identify reliable biomarkers that can be used as
away from vital structures such as arteries, we may be able to resect a screening test for early detection or monitoring of the disease.
with negative margins, giving the patient a better outcome and
chance of survival,” said Dr. Becerra.
For more information on how you can support innovative research initiaA generous contribution from The Jeanne Shelby Fund f