Reversing the Odds on Pancreatic Cancer

(CBS)  Friday night, CBS and the other major networks are joining forces once again to bring you Stand Up To Cancer - a program designed to heighten awareness of the disease and raise money to fight it.

Some of the money is funding research against one of the deadliest cancers: pancreatic. This year, more than 43,000 Americans will be diagnosed with it, and nearly 37,000 will die of it. It has already claimed the lives of people like Michael Landon, Patrick Swayze, and, yes, my sister Emily.

But now, thanks to cutting-edge research, more and more patients have reason to hope.

(Scroll Down to Watch the Video)

Stand Up To Cancer
@katiecouric: Stand Up To Cancer

Howard Young was living the dream. The Atlanta beer distributor had a business he loved, and a family he cherished.

"Forty-two years old, I thought I was bullet proof," Young said. "Just felt like everything was going along great."

Then came a devastating diagnosis: pancreatic cancer - a disease with the lowest survival rate of all cancers.

"You read the statistics, Howard, when you went online after diagnosis. And you know that, what, 75 percent of pancreatic patients die within a year," Couric said.

"That's true," he replied. "I think the first website I looked at said it's a virtual death sentence."

Young had surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Doctors told him even if everything went well, he'd have a 20 percent chance of living six months. That was eight years ago, and he's still going strong.

Learn More About Clinical Trials

"The good news is, there are many more Howards. And there are going to be a lot more of them," said Dr. Daniel Von Hoffof the TGEN Research Institute in Phoenix. They had already developed one of the few effective treatments for pancreatic cancer: Gemcitabine.

TGEN Homepage

"It improved survival from 2 percent to 18 percent," he said.

But, he says, stubborn pancreatic tumors still manage to protect themselves against the drug because they're surrounded by a tough, fibrous cocoon.

"The idea is that we have to either prevent this cocoon from forming, or we have to get rid of it after it's formed," Van Hoff said. "We'll have a much better chance of getting the drug in."

So, at the request of Stand Up To Cancer, Von Hoff joined forces with another leading cancer expert, 2,000 miles away.

"They had the clinical expertise, we had the scientific expertise. And together, we could really make a dream team," said Dr. Craig Thompson of the University of Pennsylvania. He thinks starving pancreatic tumors of food they can use for fuel - an amino acid called glutamine - just might crack that cancer cocoon.

"We want to shut off the fuel that we think is driving the production of the cocoon, and fueling the division of the cancer cells," Dr. Thompson said.

With a grant of $18 million from Stand Up To Cancer, a clinical trial begins this month combining three drugs: one that targets the cocoon, another that targets the tumor, and a third one intended to cut off the cancer's fuel supply.

"By cutting off the fuel, by creating damage with the Gemcitabine, and by eliminating the cocoon, we're going to strip off all the defenses of the pancreatic cancer cell, and therefore kill it," Dr. Thompson said.

Two-thirds of this chemo-combo has already worked wonders for Howard Young, who has had no signs of cancer since 2009. He's resumed an active, busy life of work, golf, and most of all - family.

Young said he wants to be around for "graduations, weddings. I've got three daughters. And besides trying to find a way to pay for the weddings, I'd like to-- to attend them, too." He'd like to walk his daughters down the aisle.

Until there's a cure, the team of doctors is out to prove that "remission" is not mission impossible.

"There's an awful lot of people out there depending on us. And, we hope not to disappoint," Von Hoff said.

[ITSOVERNOW]

I had a distal pancreatomy & spleenectomy June 2009,( malignant pancreatic tumor )I'm 47 ran two 5 mile races this summer & go to the gym 4 days a week.

Except for the itchy 6 inch scar there are no after effects.It is TOTALLY beatable & no longer a death sentence. Just go to a hospital that specializes in this type of surgery.

My prayer are with all of you in this totally winnable battle.

[curenow]

My mom has pancreatic cancer age 66. Her mom died of pancreatic cancer at age 66. My mom was able to have the whipple surgery and breezed through it. She was started on Gemzar and also a new vaccine that she was selected for. She is now on 5fu with radiation and will be done next week. She has had minimal side effects and is doing awesome!! She was diagnosed with a stage 2B that infected 4 lymph nodes out of 18. She will continue the Gemzar starting next week till Dec and then will be done. CT in October. We hope this study (new vaccine) will work for her as well as others who are on it. She didn't want to participate in the vaccine not really knowing if it had long term side effects, but I made her do it. She is glad now that I made her participate. I think with any studies or new drugs that are coming our way you would be foolish NOT to take advantage. So, with the fact that there will be another new study this month per CBS news, I think it is great! Take advantage of anything you can!

[my20yearmiracle]

I love hearing that pancreatic cancer patients are now long-term survivors! Congratulations, Howard. I was diagnosed and treated for pancreatic cancer in 1990, some 20 years ago, and I'm still here, so I know survival is possible. Outlook, care, diet, and a positive attitude are all key. Let's hope for more long-term survivors!

[Neopharm_supporter]

check out an amazing biotech company called Neopharm and trades on the stock exchange as NEOL.pk
They have several incredible drugs in trial that have been huge trial successes.
Current drug trials include Breast Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer. They use patented Lipid technology. Take the time and learn more. And locate the cancer treatment centers currently running Neopharm trials. The other drug preparing for trials is for Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Neopharm (NEOL.pk)
?NeoPharm continued to make good progress across multiple development programs in the second quarter,? commented Dr. Aquilur Rahman, President and Chief Executive Officer of NeoPharm. ?We have enrolled 17 patients in less than two months in our Phase II clinical trial for Liposome Entrapped Paclitaxel (LEP) for the treatment of breast cancer in India, which has been expanded from 35 patients to 70 patients . We currently expect to have the total planned enrollment of the additional 35 patients for LEP completed during the third quarter of this year. When combined with the good responders from the 35 patients enrolled our initial Phase II study, successful completion of the expanded study will enable us to reduce the number of patients for our planned Phase III trial for LEP, which is currently projected to start in the early part of 2011 provided there are enough funds available to the company.?

?Patient enrollment is also advancing in our Phase II trial for LE-DT as a frontline treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. To date, we have enrolled five patients and expect this trial may be completed as early as the fourth quarter of this year. Additionally, we are anticipating that we will soon begin enrolling patients in another Phase II trial for LE-DT for advanced prostate cancer, and, would hope to start the Phase I clinical trial for IPF in the fourth quarter of 2010. We continue to be satisfied with the advancement of our drug candidate portfolio, as we continue to move toward our ultimate goal of commercialization.

[nyauto53]

Pancreatic cancer is a horrible cancer. My mother was diagnosed Oct 1997 and died a month later (she was 80 and did no treatments). My husband, diagnosed Apr 1998, died Nov 1999 after 2 clinical trials (1 gemcitabin) and radiation. He was 42. Neither of them had diabetes and no history of tobacco,alcohol or a diet full of sugar and saturated fats.

[CozKaren]

My ex-husband is a 12-yr survivor. He was diagnosed in '98 at age 54, though it was a challenging diagnosis. It's a difficult diagnosis because the early symptoms were attributed to gastritis. In his case, when he episodes became more frequent and painful enough to put him in a fetal position that's when I insisted further investigation. This was especially so, when I discovered that he'd be throwing up blood on occasion. An upper GI found gallstones, so his gallbladder was resected.
In 3 months, symptoms returned w/ a vengence. The same doctor that did the 1st upper GI found a mass, tried to take a biopsy which cause bleeding that took 3 doctors to stop.
He was to undergo the Whipple procedure, but the surgery was aborted due to the tumor surrounding the portal vein. The next challenge came after the biopsy taken during the surgery revealed both pancreatic and kidney cancer cells. I fought w/ insurance to get 2nd, 3rd & 4th opinions. Doctors wanted to begin treatment for kidney cancer immediately, but I pushed back. Winning a battle w/ insurance after paying out of pocket for opinions at M. D. Anderson and telling the insurer, if he's treated for the wrong cancer he may die from the treatment. After all the opinions, the consensus was pancreatic. He underwent chemo, though I don't recall the drug. Those 8 rounds of chemo kept his tumor growth at bay for 5 yrs. In yr. 5 when the tumor began to grow again, a doctor was found to do surgery in a different fashion. He's lived the past 7 yrs. w/o a pancreas or spleen using an insulin pump and enzymes for digestion. Although it's common to remove the spleen for various reasons, such as after an auto accident, it does provide an important role in blood filtering and fights pneumonia and meningitis bacteria.
It is important to note that there are 2 types of pancreatic tumors. They are adnocarcinoma and nueroendicrine. His survival can be attributed to that fact he had the latter, less agressive form. I believe he'd had the cancer for 3-5 yrs, prior.
We should all listen to our bodies. By the time the treatment for those conditions fails to relieve the symptoms and very painful episodes worsen, the cancer can be very advanced. Those GI symptoms are often treated by the patient w/ OTC meds, since those are so now readily available. It's worth going to a doctor when recurrent symptoms do not react to generally available self-medication.

[shirishkorlekar]

My wife was diagosised with 'pancreatic cancer' in march 2006 and she died in april 2007.She had Wipple's surgery done followed by chemotherapy using Gemicitabine with other drugs.I wish research leads to an effective treatment which will see total remission and cure.I also wish research on prevention and screening methods to detect this disease in pre-cancer stage.My wife was only 51,had no history of tobacco,alcohol or diet full of sugar and saturated fats.Please forget which is deadliest,this or that.Go for developing a cure.Thanks.

[goffredo29]

Journalists, commercial health information databases, Cancer Centers of America, among others, just want to blow sunshine up everyone's skirts by promoting the idea that people survive these illnesses. Another example would be mesothelioma, which no one survives. It's a way to make money, I guess.

[my20yearmiracle]

You have an interesting outlook. How do you define survive? Is 3 years considered surviving? How about 10 years? Maybe you might think not dying after 15 years could be surviving. I was diagnosed and treated for pancreatic cancer in 1990, a 7x6x5 cm tumor, and that was 20 years ago. Do you think, perhaps, I survived? People like Katie C. are making a difference.

[ForAnn]

Thank you to CBS and Katie Couric for helping to shed some light on pancreatic cancer. We all know that the research funding follows awareness, so I'm grateful to see pancreatic cancer in the news. I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer in 2006, and since then I've been involved with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, to help bring hope to those who are fighting the disease now. I truly hope that science is starting to make some strides against this horrible disease.

[KimSpady]

Pancreatic cancer is NOT "the deadliest cancer" nor is the the cancer with "the lowest survival rate of all cancers."

Shame on Katie Couric and CBS news for reporting such woefully inaccurate information!

There are hundreds of families of children with pediatric cancers who long for the day -- and are diligently working for the day -- when those cancers have a 25% survival rate.

One of the deadliest forms of cancer is Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a disease that affects children who are typically between the ages of 3 and 10. These children rarely survive beyond one year from diagnosis, and the likelihood of survival for 3 years is less than 2%.

We will rejoice when 25% of our children with DIPG survive! In fact, we will celebrate the day when a TREATMENT for the disease is developed. Today, the treatment for children diagnosed with DIPG is the same as it was for the children who were diagnosed 30 years ago -- merely palliative.

While we certainly understand the need for and applaud the success of research for pancreatic cancer and other devastating adult diseases, we are outraged by this inaccurate reporting. Please, stand up to PEDIATRIC cancers, too.

Kimberlee Spady
Volunteer Advocate
Mother of Caleb
(dx DIPG 4/3/08 - died 7/21/09)
Breast Cancer Survivor
Colon Cancer Survivor

[ForAnn]

Kimberlee, I'm so sorry for your loss - and thank you for providing info about DIPG. To clarify, the one year survival rate for pancreatic cancer may be 25% - but the 5 year survival rate is more like 5 or 6%. I wouldn't wish any of these cancers on anyone.

[webwench]

From the Hirschberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research:
http://www.pancreatic.org/site/c.htJYJ8MPIwE/b.891917/k.5123/Prognosis_of_Pancreatic_Cancer.htm

According to the American Cancer Society, for all stages of pancreatic cancer combined, the one-year relative survival rate is 20%, and the five-year rate is 4%. These low survival rates are attributable to the fact that fewer than 10% of patients' tumors are confined to the pancreas at the time of diagnosis; in most cases, the malignancy has already progressed to the point where surgical removal is impossible.

In those cases where resection can be performed, the average survival rate is 18 to 20 months. The overall five-year survival rate is about 10%, although this can rise as high as 20% to 25% if the tumor is removed completely and when cancer has not spread to lymph nodes.

From a 2007 study of chemotherapy following radiation for DIPG patients:
http://radonc.ucsd.edu/patientinformation/programs/papers/PedPaper05.pdf

Of the 31 children enrolled, 30 were eligible and evaluable for survival and toxicity. Their median age was 8 years (range 3?14 years). Seven patients (23%) had a partial response following radiation, 18 (60%) had stable disease, 2 (7%) had progressive disease, and response in 3 patients (10%) was not measured. All 30 children have died. Overall survival at 1 year was 27+/-7% and at 2 years, 3+/-2%. The median survival was 9 months (range 3?36 months).

From the National Cancer Institute:
http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/child-brain-stem-glioma/HealthProfessional/allpages#Section_46

Conventional treatment for children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is radiation therapy to involved areas. Such treatment will result in transient benefit for most patients, but over 90% of patients will die within 18 months of diagnosis. The conventional dose of radiation therapy ranges between 54 Gy and 60 Gy given locally to the primary tumor site in single daily fractions.

Also see:
http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/child-brain-stem-glioma/HealthProfessional/allpages#Section_86

Given the dismal prognosis for patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, progression of the pontine lesion is anticipated generally within 1 year from initial radiation therapy. In most cases, biopsy at the time of clinical or radiologic progression is neither necessary nor recommended. To date, no salvage regimen has been shown to extend survival. Patients should be considered for entry into trials of novel therapeutic approaches because there are no standard agents that have demonstrated a clinically significant activity. Concomitant palliative care should be provided for these patients whether or not disease-directed therapy is administered.

I cannot think of a more devastating cancer, and even radiation, the only treatment that has been shown to prolong life, causes brain damage, cancer in the brain is just not the same as cancer in other areas of the body.

My sister lost her mother-in-law to pancreatic cancer in only 3 months, we know the horrific course of the disease, but my niece was diagnosed with a brainstem glioma and passed away at only 4 years of age and had she survived, she would have suffered devastating brain damage from the amount of radiation she was given at such a young age.

You can't rate tragedy, and both are horrific, but if you look at the numbers I think a more accurate statement would be that pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of the more common adult cancers. For those of us who have buried children who had absolutely no chance from the day the cancer was discovered this feels disingenuous.

Unfortunately our kids don't pay taxes, they don't influence politics, and most of the time their harried parents spend too much time on the serious business of saving their lives to have time to influence health policy.