A new study conducted at the University of Colorado (CU) Cancer Center shows that by combining radiation and immunotherapy, doctors can eradicate tumors and stop the further spread of cancer cells in pancreatic cancer patients.
In the study published April 27, lead author Sana Karam and her colleagues found by combining radiation and a new type of immunotherapy in animal models, the immune system’s response significantly increases, resulting in an “anti-tumor effect,” according to a press release from science news outlet EurekAlert. Further, the immune response continued to fight off cancer cells even after being “rechallenged,” the outlet reported.
A unique treatment combining radiation and immunotherapy can eradicate pancreatic tumors while stopping the cancer from spreading, according to a new @Cancer_Cell study by @CUCancerCenter researchers. #PancreaticCancer | #MedTwitterhttps://t.co/I1pFcdtqkH
— CU Anschutz Medical Campus (@CUAnschutz) April 27, 2023
“This is the first time we’ve seen the eradication of a pancreatic tumor that suggests the cancer cell has memory, meaning we can stop the disease from coming back,” Karam said. Karam is a member of the CU Cancer Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
“Ultimately, this could alter the way doctors treat pancreatic cancer patients in the near future,” she added. (RELATED: NYU Researchers Say New Vaccine Cuts Risk Of Melanoma Recurrence By Almost Half)
The research focused on a type of pancreatic cancer known as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which makes up 90% of all pancreatic cancer cases, according to the press release. Prior to this research study, pancreatic cancer did not respond well to immunotherapy treatments, the report continued. By combining immunotherapy and radiation, researchers were able to focus on eradicating the “bad T-cells within the immune system” that can allow cancer to spread.
“When a disease is metastatic, you want to recognize and attack the cell type everywhere, from the pancreas to the liver, blood and more,” Karam said. “This approach does exactly that in our study.”
“In just one radiation session, we saw a remarkable immune response that could change how we treat pancreatic cancer patients,” she continued. “I’ve never been more hopeful about the possibility of improving the survival rate for this disease.”
Karam and her colleagues hope to perform clinical trials using the study, EurekAlert reported.