The pancreas is an organ situated behind the stomach and small intestine. It’s only about six inches long, but the body depends on it for essential, life-supporting functions. The pancreas produces insulin, the primary hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. It also provides additional enzymes that help us to digest food. Unfortunately, this organ is also susceptible to one of the most aggressive cancers in the human body.
About Pancreatic Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, the life expectancy of pancreatic cancer patients has seen little change in 45 years. Since 1975, the 5-year survival rate has increased from 3.1% to 9.3%. This frightfully low climb of only 6.2% represents a fatality rate of 90% within 5 years of diagnosis. (1)
Some screenings and early detection methods exist for individuals with a high risk of pancreatic cancer. However, these are not proven to increase the likelihood of survival, no matter how early the cancer is detected. (2)
Most medical treatments for pancreatic cancer only have the ability to manage disease symptoms. While this can contribute to the quality of life of the patient, it rarely holds the ability to cure. Chemotherapy is the leading treatment aimed at curing pancreatic cancer, but the survival rates speak loudly of its long-term effectiveness. However, new research may be on the way to unlocking a new kind of treatment for this disease. Scientists hope to one day do more than address the symptoms until the patient’s death. Research holds potential for methods that may actually lead to an increase in survival rates.
Immunotherapy Could Hold the Key
Immunotherapy involves training or strengthening the immune system to deal with serious diseases on its own. This breakthrough field of study takes on different forms. A number are currently being investigated as potential treatments for pancreatic cancer.
Vaccines
The development of vaccines in the last century has revolutionized the world of modern medicine. They are the most common form of immunotherapy and the cornerstone of the field. Diseases once thought inescapably fatal are now easily survivable thanks to the advent of vaccination. Scientists today are hoping to develop vaccinations that may also help defend against cancers.
A pancreatic cancer vaccine would follow the same science as those for other diseases. It would consist of modified pancreatic cancer cells that could be injected into the body. These cells would be inhibited from replicating, unable to spread the disease. However, key molecules on the surface would allow the immune system to identify and interact with the cells as they would regular cancer cells. These interactions would essentially train the body to recognize and attack the real and aggressive pancreatic cancer cells. Conditioning this natural immune response could help the body defend itself against the earliest onset of pancreatic cancer. (3)
Combination Therapy
A different kind of vaccine involves genetically modifying less harmful bacteria to present those same key molecules found on pancreatic cancer cells. The term ‘genetically modifying’ might cause your brain to do some fancy word association with ‘genetically modified organisms’ (GMO) related to food production, but these are far from the same thing. Treating cancer patients with this kind of vaccine can teach the immune system to target the cells with the genetic signature of cancer cells. However, this method does so without introducing actual cancer cells to the body. (3)
These vaccines have been tested in tandem with chemotherapy to combat pancreatic cancer. One study reported that pancreatic cancer patients who received this kind of treatment-experienced prolonged survival with minimal side effects. (4) A second study found that the modified bacteria vaccination led to an immune response in 58% of subjects. All of those subjects experienced prolonged survival rates. (5) In both cases, the extended survival was a few extra months compared to those who were unaffected by the treatment. The important thing to note regarding the effectiveness of immunotherapy is that it works in conjunction with other therapies almost like a booster. It has not yet been found to be an effective treatment on its own. (3) For cancer as aggressive as pancreatic, however, even a few extra months illustrates tremendous potential.
Immune Checkpoint Blockade
Pancreatic cancer cells have a keen ability to hide from our immune system defenses. Scientists are exploring the possibility of using antibodies to condition white blood cells to better recognize tumor cells. Cancer cells can also be equipped with their own antigens that “turn off” the immune response in white blood cells. (6) Additional antibodies may be able to block those of the cancer cells, preventing them from muting the immune system. Research has found the application of antibodies effective in treating several types of cancer. However, this method still only hold hypothetical potential for pancreatic cancer, as specific studies have yet to produce definitive results. (7)
Hope on the Horizon
Immunotherapy is still a relatively new field of study in the world of pancreatic cancer treatment. However, there is nowhere to go but up. As immunotherapy is researched in greater depth, it will likely continue to signal hope for patients diagnosed with the disease. In future years, we may yet see greater rises in survival rates for the most aggressive forms of cancer.
