In a new study, researchers reported that a clinical trial testing a new drug in pancreatic cancer had promising initial results.
The study builds on almost 20 years of research at U-M focused on improving the treatment of pancreatic cancer that is too advanced for surgery.
The research was conducted by a team from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center.
Pancreatic cancer is particularly known for spreading to distant parts of the body, part of the reason overall five-year survival is just 9%.
Radiation and the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine, which are the standard treatment for pancreatic cancer, both work by causing damage to DNA.
But pancreatic cancer has a way of repairing that damage, which limits how effective these therapies can be.
In the study, the team looked at AZD1775, an inhibitor designed to block an enzyme called Wee1, which plays a role in DNA damage repair.
The study enrolled 34 patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Patients received AZD1775 in addition to radiation and gemcitabine.
The goal of the study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of AZD1775 in this combination.
The team found AZD1775 prevents pancreatic cancer from protecting itself against the effects of radiation and gemcitabine while leaving normal cells relatively unaffected.
They also found that this combination resulted in better than expected overall survival.
The median overall survival in the study was 22 months, with no progression for a median of nine months.
A previous study using gemcitabine alone in a similar group of patients found an overall survival of 12-14 months.
The team says adding AZD1775 to radiation and gemcitabine was relatively well tolerated with encouraging survival results.
The lead author of the study is Kyle Cuneo, M.D., an associate professor of radiation oncology at Michigan Medicine.
The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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