Dr. Tsai on Ongoing Research Efforts in Pancreatic Cancer

Susan Tsai, MD, MHS, associate professor, division of surgical oncology, department of surgery, director, LaBahn Pancreatic Cancer Program, director, Medical College of Wisconsin surgical oncology biorepository and pancreatic cancer clinical database, discusses ongoing research efforts being made in the realm of pancreatic cancer. 

An ongoing randomized trial that is being conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin is comparing conventional fractionation with a hypofractionated stereotactic body radiation therapy approach in this patient population, according to Tsai. Another investigator-initiated trial is examining the use of standard FOLFIRINOX in patients with pancreatic cancer and then switching them to an alternative therapy if they do not demonstrate a 50% decline in their CA 19-9 radioimmunoassay levels or achieve a robust clinical response, Tsai explains.

Finally, a precision medicine trial is also being conducted. For this effort, patients will undergo a biopsy and receive a chemotherapy regimen that best corresponds with their cancer subtype, Tsai says. This is the first clinical trial to utilize subtyping to inform the use of neoadjuvant therapy, Tsai concludes.