A groundbreaking approach to treating a particularly aggressive form of cancer is currently under development, specifically targeting a demographic experiencing a significant increase in its incidence.
Though still in its preliminary phases, this treatment has the potential to provide an additional opportunity for those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
This development is particularly critical for millennials, as a study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine revealed a concerning pattern for this age group. The research indicated that the rate of pancreatic cancer diagnoses has tripled in the United States for those born between 1981 and 1989, and quadrupled for individuals born between 1976 and 1984.
Pancreatic cancer often progresses without obvious symptoms, and its early signs can be non-specific, such as abdominal discomfort, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or a decreased appetite. As the disease advances, more pronounced symptoms may manifest, including jaundice, characterized by yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, pale stools, and digestive issues.
Pancreatic cancer patients frequently have tumors that are too advanced for safe surgical removal, although they have not yet metastasized to other regions of the body. Surgery remains the most promising option for survival, but many patients are deemed ineligible because of tumor size or challenging location. The average survival time for ‘locally advanced’ pancreatic cancer ranges from approximately 14 to 20 months.
Currently, the HonorHealth Research Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, is at the forefront of developing a potentially more effective treatment.
This innovative therapy is known as Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT) and involves the administration of PS101, a combination of gas bubbles and oil droplets. PS101 is injected into the bloodstream, and high-frequency ultrasound is applied around the pancreatic tumor, prompting PS101 to form larger ACT bubbles that become lodged in the tiny blood vessels nearby.
In addition, low-frequency ultrasounds are used to cause these bubbles to oscillate, enhancing the delivery of chemotherapy directly into the tumor. The bubbles eventually dissolve harmlessly into the bloodstream, potentially shrinking the tumor enough to make surgical removal feasible for patients.
Erkut Borazanci, M.D., the medical director of the Research Institute’s Oncology Research Division, explained: “This process increases the amount of drug that reaches the tumor, increasing its effectiveness, without increasing the amount of drug affecting the rest of the body, where it potentially could cause systemic toxicity.”
“If the patient’s tumor shrinks, these patients then might be candidates for surgical removal of the tumor, which gives them the best chance for survival.”
By maximizing the concentration of chemotherapy reaching the tumor, the treatment becomes more effective without increasing toxicity elsewhere in the body.
This treatment has been piloted and is set to be presented at the AACR conference on Advances in Pancreatic Cancer Research at the end of September.
Although it remains experimental and investigational at this stage, the hope is that this cutting-edge technique will eventually pave the way for surgery—and ultimately survival—for individuals with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.