Innovative pancreatic cancer treatment may rev up immune system

A research team reports that combining a type of radiation therapy with immunotherapy not only cures pancreatic cancer in mice, but appears to reprogram the immune system to create an 'immune memory' in the same way that a vaccine keeps the flu away. The result is that the combination treatment also destroyed pancreatic cells that had spread to the liver, a common site for metastatic disease.

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Scientists have identified the presence of cancer-suppressing cells in pancreatic cancer

Researchers have identified cells containing a protein called Meflin that has a role in restraining the progression of pancreatic cancer. They have also shown that cancer progression can be controlled by artificially increasing the amount of this protein in the cells.

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Cancer data provide insights into occurrence, overdiagnosis, and treatment advances

Investigators analyzed 40 years of cancer burden data and examined patterns of incidence and mortality for various cancers, finding examples for which incidence and mortality moved in concert and examples where discordance in incidence and mortality indicate that overdiagnosis may be at play.

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New approach to pain treatment in diseases of the pancreas

One of the worst symptoms associated with inflammation or cancer of the pancreas is severe chronic pain. Pancreatic pain is difficult to treat, because many painkillers prove ineffective in pancreatic patients. In a recent study, medical researchers discovered the cause of this phenomenon for the first time: a particular neuroenzyme in the body is present in the nerves of the organ in high concentrations.

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Discovery of new source of cancer antigens may expand cancer vaccine capabilities

Scientists have found a common, new source of tumor mutations that could offer three levels of therapy with a cancer vaccine: 1) a broadly protective, or pan-cancer vaccine 2) cancer-type specific vaccines (e.g. breast vs. pancreatic), 3) personalized cancer vaccines based on mutations unique to an individual.

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