New Hopes for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
A clinical study led by the Vall d’Hebron Institut d’Oncologia (VHIO) has shown encouraging results in the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer by combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy. This project, known as Optimize-1 and published in the scientific journal The Lancet Oncology, has shown that four out of ten patients experienced tumor shrinkage in an average period of one year.
Significant Advances
The study results reveal an objective response rate of 40%, with a median duration of response of 12.5 months and a median overall survival of 14.3 months. Dr. Teresa Macarulla, a medical oncologist at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, has highlighted the importance of these findings, considering the lack of effective therapeutic strategies for these patients.
Mechanism of action
CD40 agonist antibodies, capable of stimulating immune cells against tumor cells, have been instrumental in this approach. Immunotherapy, which activates the patient’s immune system against tumor cells, has revolutionized oncology in recent decades, although its effectiveness varies depending on the type of tumor and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
Study Results
The Optimize-1 trial included 77 patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, obtaining an objective response rate of 40%. The median duration of response was 12.5 months, with a median progression-free survival of 7.7 months and a median overall survival of 14.3 months. These results represent a significant advance considering that the current average survival for this type of cancer is less than one year from its initial detection.
Future perspectives
Dr. Macarulla has stressed the importance of investigating this combination in a phase 3 clinical trial to validate its efficacy in a larger number of patients. These results were presented at the American Society of Medical Oncology (ASCO) Congress and published in The Lancet Oncology journal.
