Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated that adding metastasis -directed radiation therapy to standard-of-care chemotherapy improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with oligometastatic pancreatic cancer. Findings from the multicenter EXTEND trial, published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology , were first presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. At a median follow-up of 17.
3 months, PFS was 10.3 months in patients who received metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) plus chemotherapy compared to only 2.5 months in those who received standard chemotherapy treatment.
Additionally, increased immune responses from MDT were connected to longer survival times. Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer have limited treatment options and poor outcomes. We are excited to see that the addition of targeted radiation therapy quadrupled the average progression-free survival time, suggesting this approach potentially represents a paradigm shift in treating metastatic pancreatic cancer.
" Ethan Ludmir, M.D., first author assistant professor of Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology Metastatic pancreatic cancer spreads rapidly to vital organs, posing significant challenges for disease management.
Diagnosis often occurs at an advanced stage, reducing treatment efficacy and decreasing survival rates. The disease's complexity and resistance to many therapies also contributes to its po.