One of the most aggressive and deadliest forms of cancer is pancreatic cancer. It develops when cells in the pancreas start to grow uncontrollably forming a tumour.
It usually takes a long time before any symptoms start to show, making the condition difficult to diagnose in its early stages. This limits treatment options and often leads to poor survival rates. However, there is renewed hope arising from emerging treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment that focuses on specific proteins, genes, or tissue environments that promote cell growth. This approach aims to stop or slow down the growth and spread of cancer cells, while preserving normal cells.
For pancreatic cancer, targeted therapy may involve drugs that block a protein called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a protein which contributes to the growth and spread of cancer cells.
By blocking this protein, targeted therapy can help stop cancer cells from growing and dividing. Other targeted therapies focus on proteins or genes implicated in the development or progression of pancreatic cancer, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and DNA repair enzymes like PARP.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a form of treatment that stimulates the immune system to fight cancer cells. It involves using drugs that either enhance or suppress immune system activity depending on the type of cancer.
For pancreatic cancer patients, immunotherapy is still in its early stages as it requires a better understanding of the biology of pancreatic cancer and the immune system.
In general, immunotherapy works by targeting molecules that are involved in immune system regulation, such as checkpoint inhibitors. These are drugs that block proteins called checkpoints that prevent the immune system from attacking healthy cells.
In pancreatic cancer, the aim of immunotherapy is to boost the immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells, thus stopping cancer growth and spread.
Cell Therapy
Cell therapy is another form of emerging treatment for pancreatic cancer that harnesses the power of the immune system to fight cancer cells.
This approach involves extracting immune cells from a patient and multiplying them in a lab before injecting them back into the patient. This is done to give the immune system a boost in its fight against cancer cells.
One type of cell therapy that holds promise for pancreatic cancer treatment is adoptive T-cell therapy. This involves engineering immune cells called T-cells to target and destroy cancer cells in the patient’s body.
The engineered T-cells are then reinfused back into the patient’s body to attack the cancer. This approach has shown promising results in some early clinical trials for pancreatic cancer treatment.
Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery
Nanoparticle-based drug delivery is a treatment that delivers drugs directly to cancer cells using tiny particles that are a few billionths of a meter in size.
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This approach can help increase the concentration of drugs in the tumour while reducing toxicity to healthy cells. In pancreatic cancer, nanoparticles can be engineered to target specific pathways that promote cancer growth and spread, thus blocking them.
One nanoparticle-based drug delivery system that is under development for pancreatic cancer patients is Abraxane. Abraxane is a chemotherapy drug that is bound to albumin nanoparticles, which helps the drug to reach cancer cells more efficiently.
Clinical trials have shown that Abraxane can improve the survival of pancreatic cancer patients when used in combination with other treatments.
Radioimmunotherapy
Radioimmunotherapy is a type of treatment that combines radiation therapy with immunotherapy to target cancer cells. This approach uses radiation-emitting substances that are linked to antibodies that target specific cancer cells.
When the radiation-emitting substances bind to the cancer cells, they release radiation that kills the cells.
In pancreatic cancer, radioimmunotherapy can be used to target cancer cells that cannot be removed with surgery, or to reduce the likelihood of pancreatic cancer recurrence.
Early studies have shown promising results for this approach in pancreatic cancer treatment.
Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy is a treatment that uses a photosensitizing drug activated by light to destroy cancer cells. This treatment involves injecting the photosensitizer into a patient’s bloodstream, where it is taken up by cancer cells.
A specific wavelength of light is then shone onto the cancerous area, which activates the photosensitizer and causes a reaction that kills cancer cells.
There is a growing interest in using photodynamic therapy for pancreatic cancer treatment.
However, this approach is still in its early stages of development, and more research is needed to determine the potential effectiveness of photodynamic therapy in pancreatic cancer.
Conclusion
Emerging treatments for pancreatic cancer are offering promising alternatives for preventing, managing, and treating this aggressive cancer.
Targeted therapy, immunotherapy, cell therapy, nanoparticle-based drug delivery, radioimmunotherapy, and photodynamic therapy are some of the emerging treatments that hold immense potential for pancreatic cancer patients. While these treatments are still in development, they offer hope for patients suffering from this deadly form of cancer.
