Latest news with #PDAC
Mid East Info
a day ago
- Health
- Mid East Info
Mayo Clinic researchers identify a measurable genetic mutation as a significant predictor of metastasis and survival in pancreatic cancer
Dubai, United Arab Emirates; June, 2025 — A new study by Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers found that the presence of a specific genetic mutation — KRAS circulating tumor DNA ctDNA— strongly indicates a higher risk of cancer spread and worse survival rates for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The mutation was identified using a readily available and clinically approved blood and abdominal fluid test. PDAC is an aggressive form of cancer that is often difficult to diagnose. Most patients already have cancer spread to other parts of their body when initially diagnosed, and current tests often miss this hidden spread. This makes it challenging to determine the best treatment strategy. The findings, published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, may help identify patients who are more likely to have cancer spread to other parts of the body, therefore providing doctors and patients with the right information to make informed decisions about treatment. 'This is a major advancement for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,' says Mark Truty, M.D., hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgical oncologist within Mayo Clinic's Department of Surgery. Dr. Truty is senior author of the study. 'We've had this genetic testing available for a number of years, however, we did not know the significance of the results or how to interpret them. Having the KRAS status will allow the patient and their provider to make better decisions about their individual cancer treatment.' The prospective cohort study, involving nearly 800 patients — the largest patient series to date in the literature using ctDNA — found that 20%-30% of patients with PDAC have detectable mutant KRAS ctDNA in the blood and/or peritoneum, and that those without any previous treatment, such as chemotherapy, had the highest incidence. Thus, the study suggests that ctDNA assays should be performed prior to treatment to have the highest yield. The researchers examined data between 2018 and 2022. Blood sample tests revealed that 104 patients (14%) had KRAS ctDNA mutation. These patients were more likely to develop advanced, spreading cancer and had a lower survival rate. Further testing of fluid from around the abdominal cavity in 419 patients showed similar results: 123 (29%) had the marker, and these patients also experienced worse outcomes. The presence of this marker, whether in blood or abdominal fluid, indicated a poorer prognosis. The study highlights that while surgery is the only known cure, most patients experience cancer spread after surgery. The test helps identify patients less likely to benefit from surgery alone, guiding treatment decisions towards chemotherapy and/or radiation before surgery. For patients without the KRAS mutation (approximately 10% of cases), the test is less conclusive and other tests are needed. 'Historically, we've known that KRAS mutations are associated with a more biologically aggressive pancreatic cancer,' says Jennifer Leiting, M.D., hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon within Mayo Clinic's Department of Surgery. Dr. Leiting is first author of the study. 'But this large study gives us a much clearer understanding of how to interpret the test results and use them to improve patient care. It allows for more accurate staging at diagnosis, leading to better treatment decisions.' The researchers suggest that this test should become a standard part of the initial diagnosis for PDAC, enabling more personalized risk stratification and effective treatment plans. 'This improved diagnostic capability offers hope for patients and their families facing this challenging disease,' says Dr. Truty. 'It's optimistic to see how advances in genetic testing are directly helping our patients.'
Web Release
2 days ago
- Health
- Web Release
Mayo Clinic researchers identify a measurable genetic mutation as a significant predictor of metastasis and survival in pancreatic cancer
A new study by Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers found that the presence of a specific genetic mutation — KRAS circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) — strongly indicates a higher risk of cancer spread and worse survival rates for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The mutation was identified using a readily available and clinically approved blood and abdominal fluid test. PDAC is an aggressive form of cancer that is often difficult to diagnose. Most patients already have cancer spread to other parts of their body when initially diagnosed, and current tests often miss this hidden spread. This makes it challenging to determine the best treatment strategy. The findings, published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, may help identify patients who are more likely to have cancer spread to other parts of the body, therefore providing doctors and patients with the right information to make informed decisions about treatment. 'This is a major advancement for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,' says Mark Truty, M.D., hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgical oncologist within Mayo Clinic's Department of Surgery. Dr. Truty is senior author of the study. 'We've had this genetic testing available for a number of years, however, we did not know the significance of the results or how to interpret them. Having the KRAS status will allow the patient and their provider to make better decisions about their individual cancer treatment.' The prospective cohort study, involving nearly 800 patients — the largest patient series to date in the literature using ctDNA — found that 20%-30% of patients with PDAC have detectable mutant KRAS ctDNA in the blood and/or peritoneum, and that those without any previous treatment, such as chemotherapy, had the highest incidence. Thus, the study suggests that ctDNA assays should be performed prior to treatment to have the highest yield. The researchers examined data between 2018 and 2022. Blood sample tests revealed that 104 patients (14%) had KRAS ctDNA mutation. These patients were more likely to develop advanced, spreading cancer and had a lower survival rate. Further testing of fluid from around the abdominal cavity in 419 patients showed similar results: 123 (29%) had the marker, and these patients also experienced worse outcomes. The presence of this marker, whether in blood or abdominal fluid, indicated a poorer prognosis. The study highlights that while surgery is the only known cure, most patients experience cancer spread after surgery. The test helps identify patients less likely to benefit from surgery alone, guiding treatment decisions towards chemotherapy and/or radiation before surgery. For patients without the KRAS mutation (approximately 10% of cases), the test is less conclusive and other tests are needed. 'Historically, we've known that KRAS mutations are associated with a more biologically aggressive pancreatic cancer,' says Jennifer Leiting, M.D., hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon within Mayo Clinic's Department of Surgery. Dr. Leiting is first author of the study. 'But this large study gives us a much clearer understanding of how to interpret the test results and use them to improve patient care. It allows for more accurate staging at diagnosis, leading to better treatment decisions.' The researchers suggest that this test should become a standard part of the initial diagnosis for PDAC, enabling more personalized risk stratification and effective treatment plans. 'This improved diagnostic capability offers hope for patients and their families facing this challenging disease,' says Dr. Truty. 'It's optimistic to see how advances in genetic testing are directly helping our patients.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How your gut bacteria could help detect pancreatic cancer early
Whether you had breakfast this morning or not, your pancreas is working quietly behind the scenes. This vital organ produces the enzymes that help digest your food and the hormones that regulate your metabolism. But when something goes wrong with your pancreas, the consequences can be devastating. Pancreatic cancer has earned the grim nickname 'the silent killer' for good reason. By the time most patients experience symptoms, the disease has often progressed to an advanced stage where treatment options become severely limited. In the UK alone, over 10,700 new cases and 9,500 deaths from pancreatic cancer were recorded between 2017 and 2019, with incidence rates continuing to rise. The most common form, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), develops in the pancreatic duct – a tube connecting the pancreas to the small intestine. When tumours form here, they can block the flow of digestive enzymes, causing energy metabolism problems that leave patients feeling chronically tired and unwell. Yet these symptoms are often so subtle that they're easily dismissed or attributed to other causes. Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Now researchers are turning to an unexpected source for early PDAC detection: faecal samples. While analysing poo might seem an unlikely approach to cancer diagnosis, scientists are discovering that our waste contains a treasure trove of information about our health. This is because your gut is home to trillions of bacteria – in fact, bacterial cells in your body outnumber human cells by roughly 40 trillion to 30 trillion. These microscopic residents form complex communities that can reflect the state of your health, including the presence of disease. Since PDAC typically develops in the part of the pancreas that connects to the gut, and most people have regular bowel movements, stool samples provide a practical, non-invasive window into what is happening inside the body. This innovative approach has been validated in studies across several countries, including Japan, China and Spain. The latest breakthrough comes from a 2025 international study involving researchers in Finland and Iran, which set out to examine the relationship between gut bacteria and pancreatic cancer onset across different populations. The researchers collected stool samples and analysed bacterial DNA using a technique called 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Despite the complex name, the principle is straightforward: scientists sequence and compare a genetic region found in every bacterium's genome, allowing them to both identify and count different bacterial species simultaneously. The findings from the Finnish-Iranian study were striking. Patients with PDAC exhibited reduced bacterial diversity in their gut, with certain species either enriched or depleted compared with healthy people. More importantly, the team developed an artificial intelligence model that could accurately distinguish between cancer patients and healthy people based solely on their gut bacterial profiles. The field of microbiome research is evolving rapidly. While this study used amplicon sequencing, newer methods like 'shotgun metagenomic sequencing' are providing even more detailed insights. This advanced technique captures the entire bacterial genome content rather than focusing on a single gene, offering an unprecedented resolution that can even detect whether bacteria have recently transferred between individuals. These technological advances are driving a fundamental shift in how we think about health and disease. We're moving from a purely human-centred view to understanding ourselves as 'human plus microbiome' – complex ecosystems where our bacterial partners play crucial roles in our wellbeing. The possibilities go well beyond pancreatic cancer. At Quadram, we're applying similar methods to study colorectal cancer. We've already analysed over a thousand stool samples using advanced computational tools that piece together bacterial genomes and their functions from fragmented DNA. This ongoing work aims to reveal how gut microbes behave in colorectal cancer, much like other scientists have done for PDAC. The bidirectional interactions between cancer and bacteria are particularly fascinating – not only can certain bacterial profiles indicate disease presence, but the disease itself can alter the gut microbiome, as we previously showed in Parkinson's disease, creating a complex web of cause and effect that researchers are still unravelling. Nonetheless, by understanding how our microbial partners respond to and influence disease, we're gaining insights that could revolutionise both diagnosis and treatment. Our past research has shown this to be incredibly complex and sometimes difficult to understand, but developments in biotechnology and artificial intelligence are increasingly helping us to make sense of this microscopic world. For cancer patients and their families, this and other advancements in microbiome research offer hope for earlier detection. While we're still in the early stages of translating these findings into clinical practice, the potential to catch this silent killer before it becomes deadly could transform outcomes for thousands of patients, but will require more careful and fundamental research. The microbial perspective on health is no longer a distant scientific curiosity – it's rapidly becoming a practical reality that could save lives. As researchers continue to explore this inner frontier, we're learning that the answer to some of our most challenging medical questions might be hiding in plain sight – in the waste we flush away each day. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Falk Hildebrand receives funding from the UKRI, BBSRC, NERC and ERC. Daisuke Suzuki receives funding from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
Scottish Sun
24-06-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
How ‘Pharaoh's curse' may help fight CANCER after leukaemia-battling chemical found in fungus linked to King Tut deaths
Researchers say it could be the start of a string of new medical discoveries PHARAOH'S GIFT How 'Pharaoh's curse' may help fight CANCER after leukaemia-battling chemical found in fungus linked to King Tut deaths Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TOXIC fungus linked to the deaths of researchers who opened King Tutankhamun's tomb may help fight cancer. The poisonous fungus found growing inside the ancient tombs is believed to have struck down a team of 10 archaeologists in a theory known as "Pharaoh's Curse". Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 King Tut's tomb was teaming with a fungus believed to have killed a group of researchers Credit: PA:Press Association 3 The poisonous fungus has been found to contain properties that could tackle the division of cancer cells 3 Ingesting yellow spores of the fungus has been linked to lung disease Credit: PA:Press Association The fungus crop - known as Aspergillus flavus - is believed to have been ingested by the researchers who then developed lung infections and died. But now, in a miraculous turn of events, scientists think the toxic fungus could contain elements needed to attack blood cancer. The fungus contains a "promising" protein that, when purified, could help battle leukaemia cells, they said. According to their research, when combined with human cells, the protein is potent enough to disrupt the division of cancer cells. Cancer is when abnormal cells divide in an uncontrolled way. It starts when gene changes make one cell or a few cells begin to grow and multiply too much. Sherry Gao, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, enthused that this could be the start of "many more medicines derived from natural products". She told The Times: "Fungi gave us penicillin. These results show that many more medicines derived from natural products remain to be found". She added: "Nature has given us this incredible pharmacy. It's up to us to uncover its secrets. "As engineers, we're excited to keep exploring, learning from nature and using that knowledge to design better solutions.' Tourists gather around Tutankhamun's 'cursed' body This comes as researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, both in the US, developed a new type of jab to fight pancreatic cancer. The vaccine uses tiny particles called nanoparticles to train the body's immune system to find and kill 'bad' cancer cells. In early tests with animals and lab models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common and aggressive type of pancreatic cancer, more than half of the treated patients were completely cancer-free months after getting the vaccine. The vaccine also encourages the body to create its own T cells, immune fighters specially trained to attack cancer, while building up 'immune memory' for longer-term protection. Meanwhile, researchers in South Korea said they were able to revert cancerous cells back to a healthier stage. The team believe they can prevent the progression by exploiting the moment before normal cells irreversibly transform into diseased cells. Current cancer treatments focus on removing or destroying cancer cells through surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. But the groundbreaking discovery could let cancer patients regain their healthy cells. The scientists published their findings in the journal Advanced Science. Co-author of the new research Kwang-Hyun Cho is a professor of biology at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He said: "This study has revealed in detail, at the genetic network level, what changes occur within cells behind the process of cancer development, which has been considered a mystery until now.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Revolution Medicines Announces FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Daraxonrasib in Previously Treated Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer with KRAS G12 Mutations
Breakthrough Therapy Designation based on promising early clinical evidence observed with daraxonrasib in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) RASolute 302, a Phase 3 registrational study of daraxonrasib in patients with previously treated metastatic PDAC, expected to substantially complete enrollment this year REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revolution Medicines, Inc. (Nasdaq: RVMD), a late-stage clinical oncology company developing targeted therapies for patients with RAS-addicted cancers, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to daraxonrasib, the company's RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor, for previously treated metastatic PDAC in patients with KRAS G12 mutations. The Breakthrough Therapy Designation is based on encouraging data from the Phase 1 RMC-6236-001 clinical trial evaluating daraxonrasib in patients with previously treated metastatic PDAC. 'This Breakthrough Therapy Designation underscores the enormous need for new treatments for patients with pancreatic cancer and highlights the potentially important role the investigational drug, daraxonrasib, may have in helping patients living with this disease,' said Mark A. Goldsmith M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer and chairman of Revolution Medicines. 'We look forward to substantially completing enrollment of the RASolute 302 study this year to enable an expected readout in 2026, and should the results support it, working closely with the FDA and other regulatory agencies around the world to bring daraxonrasib to patients as quickly as possible.' Breakthrough Therapy Designation is intended to expedite the development and review of potential new medicines designed to treat serious conditions and address significant unmet medical needs. The medicine needs to have shown encouraging preliminary clinical evidence that demonstrates substantial improvement on a clinically significant endpoint over available medicines. More than 90% of patients living with PDAC have tumors carrying a RAS cancer driver mutation with ~85% carrying a KRAS G12 mutation. Revolution Medicines is currently enrolling patients in RASolute 302, a global Phase 3 registrational study of daraxonrasib in patients with previously treated metastatic PDAC. The study design focuses on a core population of patients with PDAC harboring RAS mutations at position 12 (RAS G12X) and an expanded population that includes patients with tumors harboring RAS mutations at position G12 (RAS G12X), G13 (RAS G13X) or Q61 (RAS Q61X), or those without any identified targetable mutation. The dual primary endpoints for the study are progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the core patient population. Key secondary endpoints include PFS and OS in the expanded population of patients. Additional information about RASolute 302 (NCT06625320) is available at About Pancreatic Cancer and Pancreatic Ductal AdenocarcinomaPancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies, characterized by its typically late-stage diagnosis, resistance to standard chemotherapy, and high mortality rate. In the U.S., recent estimates indicate that in 2024, approximately 60,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer1, and about 50,000 people will die from this aggressive disease. The most common form of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and its variants, accounts for approximately 92% of all pancreatic cancer cases2. Due to the lack of early symptoms and detection methods, approximately 80% of patients are diagnosed with PDAC at an advanced or metastatic stage. It is the most commonly RAS-addicted of all major cancers, and more than 90% of patients have tumors that harbor RAS mutations3. Metastatic PDAC remains one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., with a five-year survival rate of approximately 3%4. About DaraxonrasibDaraxonrasib (RMC-6236) is an oral, direct RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor with the potential to help address a wide range of cancers driven by oncogenic RAS mutations. Daraxonrasib suppresses RAS signaling by blocking the interaction of RAS(ON) with its downstream effectors. It does so by targeting oncogenic RAS mutations G12X, G13X and Q61X that are common drivers of major cancers, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). About Revolution Medicines, Inc. Revolution Medicines is a late-stage clinical oncology company developing novel targeted therapies for patients with RAS-addicted cancers. The company's R&D pipeline comprises RAS(ON) inhibitors designed to suppress diverse oncogenic variants of RAS proteins. The company's RAS(ON) inhibitors daraxonrasib (RMC-6236), a RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor; elironrasib (RMC-6291), a RAS(ON) G12C-selective inhibitor; and zoldonrasib (RMC-9805), a RAS(ON) G12D-selective inhibitor, are currently in clinical development. The company anticipates that RMC-5127, a RAS(ON) G12V-selective inhibitor, will be its next RAS(ON) inhibitor to enter clinical development. Additional development opportunities in the company's pipeline focus on RAS(ON) mutant-selective inhibitors, including RMC-0708 (Q61H) and RMC-8839 (G13C). For more information, please visit and follow us on LinkedIn. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be considered "forward-looking statements," including without limitation statements regarding progression of clinical studies and findings from these studies, including the safety, tolerability and antitumor activity of the company's candidates being studied and the durability of these results; dosing and enrollment in the company's clinical trials; potential regulatory interactions by the company; and the ability of the company to bring its clinical candidates to patients. Forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "would," "believe," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," and other similar terminology indicating future results. Such forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's development programs, future results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include without limitation risks and uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, including the company's programs' current stage of development, the process of designing and conducting preclinical and clinical trials, risks that the results of prior clinical trials may not be predictive of future clinical trials, clinical efficacy, or other future results, the regulatory approval processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges associated with manufacturing drug products, the company's ability to successfully establish, protect and defend its intellectual property, other matters that could affect the sufficiency of the company's capital resources to fund operations, reliance on third parties for manufacturing and development efforts, changes in the competitive landscape, and the effects on the company's business of the global events, such as international conflicts or global pandemics. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Revolution Medicines in general, see Revolution Medicines' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') on May 7, 2025, and its future periodic reports to be filed with the SEC. Except as required by law, Revolution Medicines undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Revolution Medicines Media & Investor Contact:media@ 1 Siegel RL, et al. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74:12-49.2 Hallbrook CJ, et al. Cell. 2023;186:1729-1754.3 Lee JK, Sivakumar S, Schrock AB, et al. Comprehensive pan-cancer genomic landscape of KRAS altered cancers and real-world outcomes in solid tumors. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2022;6(1);91. Doi:10.1038/s41698-022-00334-z.4 American Cancer Society. Survival Rates for Pancreatic Cancer. Available at: Accessed June in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
