Improving pancreatic cancer treatment through a ‘personalised medicine’ approach
Background
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths in Western societies. In Australia, only 7% of people with pancreatic cancer will survive for five years or longer. A key reason for the poor prognosis is that there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach that works because there are many subtypes of the cancer. Working out what subtypes exist and what similarities and differences exist between them is vital to coming up with effective treatments.
The research
This project focuses on work showing there are subtypes of pancreatic cancer that share a reliance on a newly-discovered molecular pathway. Some preliminary research suggests these cancers may be sensitive to a new chemotherapy drug combination. So Dr Pajic and her team will try to find ways to test if a particular cancer falls into the group that might respond to the drug combination, and if so, how it works in those cancers.
The impact
The molecular pathway being investigated by Dr Pajic’s team is also used by another type of cancer. Work on the blood cell cancer leukaemia has progressed to the point there are now Phase 1 clinical trials testing the safety of the new chemotherapy approach in leukaemia patients.
This means Dr Pajic’s work has potential to be rapidly translated into Phase II clinical trials for pancreatic cancer.
If the subtype of pancreatic cancer in a patient can established soon after diagnosis, it means optimal treatment can be started early, boosting the chances of a good outcome.