Patient-centred care
In recent years, there has been minimal progress in curing or prolonging the life of patients with pancreatic cancer. In addition, many suffer from malnutrition, cachexia, pain, and overall reduced physical function. Through clinical intervention studies we will, in addition to testing new anti-cancer treatments, focus on relieving symptoms and improving functions (i.e., patient-centred care) with the overall aim of improving the lives of patients with pancreatic cancer.
MyPath
In the MyPath project, we are collaborating with national partners in MATRIX and in an EU consortium to develop individually tailored digital patient-centred care pathways that can be systematically incorporated in routine clinical cancer care. Strategies consisting of systematic mapping of symptoms, facilitation of evidence-based patient-centred care, and integration of patient-centred care pathways together with tumour-centred approaches will improve the patient's quality of life, relieve symptoms such as pain and malnutrition, and improve physical and mental functioning.
Clinical trials
The MENAC study, an international randomized Phase 3 trial led by Norway, tested multimodal treatment of cachexia in patients with inoperable cancer receiving chemotherapy. A follow-up study is being planned (MENAC 2) to test the drug anamerolin in a multimodal setting.
The PACTO study is a Nordic collaborative randomized phase 2 study testing tocilizumab (IL-6 inhibitor) in combination with chemotherapy. The primary outcome in this study is survival while also measuring various cachexia parameters.
We newly started recruiting patients to a randomized Phase 3 trial (CNIS 973) testing the effect of an inhibitor of TGF beta signaling on survival and quality of life.
In addition, the oncology group has participated in the neoadjuvant studies NorPACT-1 and NorPACT 2.
Collaborators
- Knut Jørgen Labori (work package «Surgery»), OUH/UiO
- Elin H. Kure (work package “Molecular characterization of tumour tissue”), OUH