Two Oklahoma research teams published their findings on pancreatic cancer in scientific journals this month. One team is trying to find an early detection method. The others work could lead to new treatment options.
The first study used a mass spectrometer to compare the blood of 33 pancreatic cancer patients to the blood of 30 disease-free people. The spectrometer can indicate molecular changes caused by disease. Positive predictive values for stage 1 and stage 2 cancers were found in 79 percent of the cases.
The team, led by Dr. Jay Hanas, hopes the research will lead to a blood test that can detect pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages.
People with a high risk of pancreatic cancer, such as smokers and people with a family history of the disease, could be targeted for screening.
The team's work was published in the Cancer Investigation journal.
The second study sought to understand the role of nonembryonic cancer stem cells in the spread of pancreatic cancer.
The work is based on the belief that cancer originates in cancer stem cells, which are not targeted by current therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation. The team, led by Dr. Courtney Houchen, focused on a stem cell protein designated DCAMKL-1.
The team discovered that blocking the protein, which is responsible for regulating tumor growth, inhibits tumor development, growth and metastasis.
The team's research was published in the Cancer Research journal.
Julie Linse, of Oklahoma City, just celebrated the two-year anniversary of her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. It was a happy occasion because many patients die shortly after they are diagnosed.
Linse's cancer has stabilized — for now, at least. She said Houchen's work to find a way to block stem cell proteins could lead to a therapy that keeps cancer from recurring.
“They really are my heroes,” she said. “They are out there in the trenches trying to find a cure.”
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