Targeted Genetic Therapy Helps Pancreatic Cancer Patients

In Pennsylvania, researchers are using genomic profiling to help future treatment of pancreatic cancer, which is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and has a low survival rate of 8%. One study found a mutation in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene and used targeted therapy for the mutated gene. Another study used existing medicines to improve pancreatic cancer outcomes with similar genetic mutations. The key was using the targeted genetic therapy early on as they found patients who had advanced too far with pancreatic cancer did not benefit as much as patients who were in the earlier stages.