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Pancreatic cancer - experimental and clinical studies

Principal investigator; Andersson, Roland, Professor, MD/PhD

Clinical speciality: Surgery

Phone: ++4646172359

Co-workers, Lund University: Bartosch-Härlid Anna, Rosendahl Ann

Research area/areas: Surgery

Pancreatic cancer is the 4th cause of death in cancer and still associated with a very poor prognosis. In Sweden, the incidence is about 900 new cases/year. The introduction of chemotherapy (especially gemcitabine) has slightly improved quality of life and the overall survival (from about 4 to 6-7 months after diagnosis). Still, problems related to the pronounced cancer cachexia, jaundice and pain are substantial.

The costs related to the disease for the Swedish society are calculated to about 1.7 billion SEK/year in a recent study by us. Further health economic analyses and calculations on cost effectiveness on improved early diagnosis are ongoing. Outcome following treatment of ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma as well as more rare types of tumors including cystic pancreatic tumors are done. Specifically, detailed immunohistochemistry will render profiles of potential prognostic significance and thereby also ways of future prognosis and therapy. This is correlated with tumor aggressiveness, expression of different proinflammatory markers, expression of nuclear receptors (related to the response of chemotherapy), etc. The studies are done in collaboration with e.g. Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, and Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.

Experimentally, the studies are done in vitro using several cell lines on pancreatic cancer, evaluating different types of treatment and blocking of tumor proliferation, the proinflammatory response, expression of matrix metalloproteinases, and growth factors, studied both individually and in combination. The overall aim is to get a more individualized type of therapy with several compounds in combination, based on description of the patient's specific tumor profile.

Improvements in outcome in pancreatic cancer have been limited. Detailed knowledge on both the tumors and its relation with e.g. the surrounding stroma could render novel types of intervention.

Link to project homepage: http://www.med.lu.se/klinvetlund/kirurgi/forskning/forskargrupper/roland_andersson/bukspottkoertelcancer

5 recent original publications

Tingstedt Bobby, Andersson Erik, Flink Anton, Bolin Kristian, Lindgren Björn, Andersson Roland
Pancreatic Cancer, Healthcare Cost, and Loss of Productivity: A Register-based Approach.
World journal of surgery. 2011; Aug 18: 2298-2305

Ansari Daniel, Rosendahl Ann, Elebro J, Andersson Roland
Systematic review of immunohistochemical biomarkers to identify prognostic subgroups of patients with pancreatic cancer.
The British journal of surgery. 2011; Jun 6: 1041-1055

Sun Chen, Rosendahl Ann, Ansari Daniel, Andersson Roland
Proteome-based biomarkers in pancreatic cancer.
World journal of gastroenterology : WJG. 2011; 17: 4845 - 4852

Bartosch-Härlid Anna, Andersson Roland
Diabetes Mellitus in Pancreatic Cancer and the Need for Diagnosis of Asymptomatic Disease.
Pancreatology : official journal of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) ... et al.. 2010; 10: 423 - 428

Bartosch-Härlid Anna, Andersson Roland
Cachexia in pancreatic cancer - mechanisms and potential intervention
e-SPEN Journal, the European e-Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. 2009; 4: e337-e343

Further publications here (new window)

Financing/year