Looking for patient to enroll in Preoperative Extended Chemotherapy vs. Chemotherapy Plus Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy for Borderline Resectable Adenocarcinoma of the Head of the Pancreas

If not known before, Pancreatic cancer is the third-most common cause of cancer-related death in the US. In some cases, surgical removal of the pancreas is considered the only chance for cure, but many patients are not able to have surgery due to involvement of nearby blood vessels. Even after surgery some patients will redevelop cancer due to the growth and spreading of cancer cells both at the operative stage and once removed.

In this new study, the Pancreas Center has partnered with a national cooperative clinical trial group (Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology) in this new pre-operation clinical trial called; Preoperative extended chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy plus hypofractionated radiation therapy for borderline resectable adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas. National cooperative groups like the Alliance develop and conduct clinical trials with promising new cancer therapies, and utilizes the best science to develop ideal treatment and prevention strategies for cancer, as well as research methods to lessen side effects of cancer and cancer treatments.

At Columbia University, Dr. Paul Oberstein, serves as the Principal Investigator on this study and is conducting this study in collaboration with Dr. Michael Kluger and Dr. David Horowitz. The primary goal is to see whether adding radiation therapy to an intensive chemotherapy regimen will improve the survival rate of patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. While on the study, patients are randomized to receive one of two neoadjuvant chemotherapies (one arm has the addition of a radiation) before intended surgical resection. 

In previous studies at the Pancreas Center and elsewhere, we have seen positive outcomes when patients receive intensive chemotherapy prior to surgery and we hope that this study will benefit our patients and provide new and improved options for anyone with pancreatic cancer.

For more information about this study, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02839343.