News and Progress from January, 1999
January 22, 1999
Medical Oncology/Clinical Research Update:
The PTSG Medical Oncology section announces the opening of a Phase I clinical trial for the investigational drug L-778,123 by Merck Research Laboratories. For information about the study drug and trial, see the Clinical Trials/Category D page.
For information on all available clinical studies in Pancreatic Cancer at M D Anderson, see the Main Clinical Trials page.
For a synopsis of M D Anderson's Multimodal approach to treating Pancreatic Cancer, see the Multimodality Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer page.
January 20, 1999
Clinical Research Update:
The PTSG has just expanded its translational research protocol LAB98-233. This protocol is designed to use blood samples to determine if a blood-DNA test is possible to track pancreatic cancer. For more information, see our Clinical Trials Section.
January 14, 1999
Surgical Oncology:
Three papers have recently been published by the staff of this section. All describe the results of studies suggesting an advantage to administering chemotherapy and radiation before surgery. The references are:
Evans DB, Pisters PWT, Lee JE, Bold RJ, Charnangavej C, JanJan NA, Wolff RA, Abbruzzese JL. Preoperative chemoradiation strategies for localized adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg 1998;5:242-250.
Pisters PWT, Abbruzzese JL, Janjan NA, Cleary KR, Charnsangavej C, Goswitz MS, Rich TA, Raijman I, Wolff RA, Lenzi R, Lee JE, Evans DB. Rapid-fractionation preoperative chemoradiation, pancreaticoduodenectomy, and intraoperative radiation therapy for resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. J Clin Oncol 1998;16:3843-3850
Breslin TM, Janjan NA, Lee JE, Pisters PWT, Wolff RA, Abbruzzese JL, Evans DB. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Front in Bioscience 1998;3: e193-203.
Basic Science/Translational Research
PTSG faculty members recently published a paper regarding progress in gene therapy for pancreatic cancer. The reference is:
Pearson AS, Bouvet M, Evans DB, Roth JA. Gene therapy and pancreatic cancer. Frontiers in Bioscience 1998;3:e230-237.