Active clinical trials for "Pancreatic Neoplasms"

A study to assess the biochemical and immunomodulatory effects of BXCL701 in pancreatic cancer.

This phase II trial studies how well pembrolizumab and PEGPH20 work in treating patients with pancreatic cancer that has spread to other places in the body (metastatic). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. PEGPH20 is an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid coating tumor cells which may inhibit growth of tumor cells. Giving pembrolizumab and PEGPH20 may work better in treating patients with pancreatic cancer compared to pembrolizumab alone.

In this study, a new chemotherapeutic agent, panitumumab, will be tested in combination with another chemotherapeutic drug, capecitabine, along with external radiotherapy, to find out whether this combination is effective and safe to use before surgery.

Pancreatic cysts are common, and some pancreas cysts have malignant potential. Usual treatment of these cysts is either observation or surgical removal of part or all of the pancreas. Minimally invasive treatment via endoscopy has been described, using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided ethanol injections. Such studies exclude cysts that communicate with the main pancreatic duct, to avoid burning the main pancreatic duct with ethanol. In this study, pancreas cysts communicating with the main pancreas duct are treated with ethanol via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and/or EUS.

The endomicroscopy is an adaptation of traditional optical microscopy in the digestive endoscopy. Furthermore, with the integration of a miniaturized laser confocal microscope to a videoendoscope, it's possible to study the digestive mucous by "optical biopsy". This monocentric, non randomized and prospective study uses the Intra-ductal confocal endomicroscopy for the characterization of pancreas and bile duct tumor.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States and is associated with a poor prognosis. The average life expectancy after diagnosis is approximately 5 to 8 months. At present, successful surgical resection is the only curative therapy that can improve long-term survival. However, it can be achieved only when a tumor is detected at an early stage. Unfortunately, due to non-specific symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer, it is commonly detected in the later stages of the disease. The investigators hypothesized that pancreatic cancer could be detected by measuring the changes in the early increase in blood supply (EIBS) found in the surrounding normal-appearing duodenal tissue. The investigators tested a device called Four-dimensional Elastic Light-Scattering Fingerprinting (4D-ELF). The device used in this study is considered investigational, which means it has either not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for routine clinical use or for the use described in this study. However the FDA allowed the use of this device in this research study.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as gemcitabine and capecitabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Bevacizumab may also stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking blood flow to the tumor. Giving gemcitabine and capecitabine together with bevacizumab may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the side effects and how well giving gemcitabine and capecitabine together with bevacizumab works in treating patients with pancreatic cancer that can be removed by surgery.

The purpose of this study is to find out what effects, good and bad, the chemotherapy drugs gemcitabine (Gemzar) and paclitaxel (Taxol) have in combination with twice daily radiation treatment on locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

RATIONALE: Zinc supplements may lower cadmium levels in smokers and may help prevent DNA damage. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well zinc supplements work in lowering cadmium levels in smokers.

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cell from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with monoclonal antibody therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of cetuximab plus gemcitabine in treating patients who have locally advanced, metastatic, or recurrent cancer of the pancreas.