title: Novel agents for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
abstract: Metastatic pancreatic cancer continues to be a difficult disease to treat because of its aggressive nature, advanced stage at presentation and lack of treatment options. There is a need for the development of new agents directed against novel targets to improve outcomes for these patients. At the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium phase I/II trials provided information on three novel strategies for treating metastatic pancreatic cancer. Immunotherapy in the form of a vaccine (GVAX) followed with an immune stimulator (CRS-207) showed extended survival (Abstract #177). A monoclonal antibody (NEO-102) targeting MUC5AC also showed activity and was well tolerated (Abstract #243). A heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor (ganetespib) showed modest effects but was well tolerated making it available for use with conventional chemotherapy (Abstract #297). The details of these presentations will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dallas, TX, USA. gregorybrennan@phhs.org.
authors.forename: Gregory T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Relias
authors.forename: Muhammad Wasif
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Saif
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D055271:Mucin 5AC / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D007155:Immunologic Factors; C524678:MUC5AC protein, human; D055271:Mucin 5AC; C533237:STA 9090; D014230:Triazoles