Pancreatic cancer is highly lethal, and surgical removal of tumor tissue is currently the only potential cure for most patients. Once the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas, treatment options are limited. A recent phase II clinical trial led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham (MGB), identified a promising combination treatment regimen for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, meaning that their cancer had spread, but only to nearby tissue. The trial’s investigators have now uncovered the potential mechanisms behind the treatment’s beneficial effects.
