Learn about the latest treatments for metastatic pancreatic cancer. We’ve got it covered, from new FDA approvals to emerging approaches in immunotherapy, targeted therapy, cancer vaccines, drug combinations, and more.

  • April 2, 2024  

    Treating Pancreatic Cancer: Could Metabolism—Not Genomics—Be the Key?

    With: Thomas N. Seyfried, PhDDerek Lee, MSTomás Duraj, MD, PhD

    In 2018, we published a Curious Dr. George post featuring Thomas N. Seyfried, PhD, about cancer possibly being mostly a metabolic—rather than genetic—disease. Since then, the field of cancer genomics has expanded enormously, and we have published many posts in support of better understanding and treatment of many types of cancer based on the genomic approach. Here, Dr. Seyfried and two of his colleagues at Boston College—Derek Lee, MS,… Read more »

  • February 21, 2024  

    How an Expert Would Manage His Own Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer: An Update

    With: John H. Strickler, MD

    When confronted with a new cancer diagnosis, some people ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Previously, our Curious Dr. George asked John H. Strickler, MD, how he would handle his own hypothetical diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Now, Dr. Strickler provides an updated answer, outlining new options for the nearly 95% of pancreatic cancer patients with KRAS mutations. Dr.… Read more »

  • October 26, 2020  

    How an Expert Would Manage His Own Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer

    With: John H. Strickler, MD

    When confronted with a new cancer diagnosis, some people ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Cancer Commons Expert Physician Advisor John Strickler, MD, how he would handle his own diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Dr. Strickler is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at Duke University and Co-Leader of… Read more »

  • October 18, 2021  

    Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer: A Single-Institution Experience Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    This scientific manuscript from Cureus reports results from a Toronto cancer center suggesting that stereotactic radiotherapy offers another option for palliative treatment of inoperable pancreatic cancer.

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  • August 11, 2021  

    Researching More Second-Line Options for Pancreatic Cancer Bookmark

    Lola Rahib, PhD

    Article from Let’s Win! Pancreatic Cancer: A clinical trial is testing a promising treatment called eryaspase to see how well it performs as a second-line option for metastatic pancreatic cancer.

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When questions arose about my husband’s case, one of the researchers (Matthew) took time to personally call me and discuss his case.

Tracy
Wife of glioblastoma patient

Molecular tests help match patients to the personalized treatments that are most likely to work for them. Keep up with new developments in genetic tests, blood tests, MSI status, tumor mutations, other biomarkers, and precision medicine.

Some of the most promising new treatments for metastatic pancreatic cancer are currently being tested in volunteer patients enrolled in clinical trials. We help you stay up to date on the latest results from these studies.

  • December 2, 2019  

    Does the Artery-first Approach Improve the Rate of R0 Resection in Pancreatoduodenectomy?: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Research paper from Annals of Surgery curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    This clinical trial found no difference in tumor-free margins from standard versus artery-first surgical techniques for the resection of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma via pancreatoduodenectomy.

    Go to full paper published in Annals of Surgery.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

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This free-of-charge, high-quality information service is a wonderful resource for patients with advanced cancer.

Hope S. Rugo, MD
UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center

Cancer affects many aspects of life, whether you’re newly diagnosed, in the midst of treatment, or in follow-up care. Learn about ways to maintain quality of life, such as palliative care and managing side effects.

  • October 14, 2019  

    Pediatric Palliative Care: A Specialty Comes of Age

    Sarah Friebert, MD

    For a child with cancer, palliative care can provide much-needed relief from stress and symptoms—for the patient and their family alike. Palliative care is given alongside cancer treatment, and is not synonymous with “end-of-life” care. In fact, anyone with a serious illness can benefit from palliative care, no matter their long-term outlook. Because of its importance for children with cancer, we are honored to… Read more »

  • February 18, 2022  

    Mental Health and Pancreatic Cancer Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Coping with a potentially lethal cancer presents many serious challenges. This article from Cancer Commons partner Let’s Win! Pancreatic Cancer might help.

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  • August 11, 2021  

    Anxiety Before Each Chemotherapy Treatment Bookmark

    Lola Rahib, PhD

    Article from Let’s Win! Pancreatic Cancer: Pancreatic cancer patients share their experiences with pre-chemo anxiety and their personal strategies for overcoming it.

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You’re not alone. Read how other patients and caregivers navigated diagnosis, treatment, and life with cancer. We hope their stories provide insights and hope for your own cancer journey.

More patient stories

Learn more about what’s new in advanced cancer research and treatment, including screening and statistics, using artificial intelligence to improve treatment, and other new horizons in cancer care.

  • July 11, 2024  

    The Personalized Power of the “N-of-1” Approach

    With: Glenn Sabin

    Randomized, controlled clinical trials with a large N—number of participants—are the recognized “gold standard” of evidence-based medicine. Even so, the results of large-N trials can only reveal population averages, and are not predictive of any individual’s response to a given treatment. On the other hand, one can consider every patient with cancer as the sole participant in their own clinical trial with an Nof1, even if the trial is not… Read more »

  • November 10, 2022  

    A Powerful Knowledge Base for Precision Oncology

    With: Hongxin Zhang

    Genetic mutations found in a tumor can be important clues to the patient’s best treatment options. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York has developed a product called OncoKB™, which enables anyone to access and navigate key clinical information about the various genetic abnormalities that may be found in tumors. Here, Curious Dr. George asks MSK Lead Software Engineer Hongxin Zhang about… Read more »

  • June 2, 2022  

    Harnessing Each Patient’s Data to Help Many More

    With: Kaumudi Bhawe, PhD

    At Cancer Commons, we don’t just help people navigate cancer treatment; we learn from everyone we help. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Cancer Commons Clinical Scientist Kaumudi Bhawe, PhD, to share how new knowledge can be captured from every patient to help many more. Curious Dr. George: Cancer Commons has accumulated in-depth data on many hundreds of patients with various cancers. Because of the… Read more »

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The coronavirus pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to cancer patients. We can help you understand how COVID-19 might impact your treatment and other aspects of your cancer care.