The Achilles' heel of pancreatic cancer could pave the way for new treatments - McGill University Health Centre

People who develop pancreatic cancer experience measurable changes in body composition years before diagnosis that differ from those seen in similar individuals without cancer, according to a Mayo Clinic study led by former Mayo Clinic research fellow, Aleksander Bogdanski and published in Pancreatology. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, largely because most patients are diagnosed after the disease has already spread. Current surveillance programs focus primarily on people with inherited genetic risk or strong family histories, yet most pancreatic cancers occur outside those high-risk groups.

“Undruggable.” For decades, that’s what researchers called RAS, the mutation behind about 90 percent of pancreatic cancers. Dr. Brian Wolpin of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has a different answer: not yet. He shared it yesterday at the MassBioHub, where we hosted our fourth annual Women’s Health Symposium with the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators. This year’s focus was pancreatic cancer, which is personal for this community. The Caucus lost two members to the disease last year, Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante and Rep. Carol Doherty.

There are a many UCI Health studies underway to help get pancreatic cancer patients to surgery and ultimately cancer-free, says Dr. Nadine Abi-Jaoudeh, who leads a novel clinical trial for the disease. "We are advocating for better options and trying to get the word out to patients. " The UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is conducting a first-in-human, phase 1 clinical trial using laser light to target localized but inoperable pancreatic tumors.

After UNC's encouraging season-opening win against TCU, Tar Heel fans had to sit through a bye week as the rest of college football world kicked off. But head coach Bill Belichick's team picked up where it left off in Dublin and treated the home fans to a 35-3 victory over East Tennessee State Saturday in the first game of the 100th season at Kenan Stadium.