‘Monumental leap’ in beating cruel cancer that killed Pavarotti
Just five per cent of sufferers can expect to live five years and just one per cent are still alive a decade after diagnosis. Survival rates have improved little since the early 1970s.
Fresh hope comes after more than 700 patients from Britain, Germany, Sweden and France took part in the Espac 4 trial.
The results, published in The Lancet, showed side-effects from the combination treatment after surgery were no worse than those experienced by those on gemcitabine alone.
They included an impaired immune system and increased risk of infection, bleeding or bruising problems, fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea and flu-like symptoms.
Pancreatic Cancer UK said the paired treatment could result in 100 extra patients each year living for five years or more.
Head of research Leanne Reynolds said: “These results are a monumental leap forward in pancreatic cancer treatment. We believe this could herald a true step change in the treatment of this tough cancer, offering substantially more patients who have had surgery the chance to live for longer and crucially, without significant added side-effects.
“We urge the NHS to introduce this treatment across the UK for patients who have had surgery immediately.
“Since the early 1970s there has been little progress for patients in research, treatments and survival rates.
“Golden opportunities like this to transform patients’ lives do not come along often.”
The results were first presented last year but have now been peer reviewed.
Professor John Neoptolemos of Liverpool university, who led the trial, said: “This is one of the biggest breakthroughs prolonging survival for pancreatic cancer patients. When this combination becomes the new standard of care it will give many patients living with the disease valuable months and even years.”
Professor Peter Johnson, of Cancer Research UK which funded the study, said: “Research that tells us more about how the disease grows and spreads and trials like this one will be key to improve survival for patients.”