Advanced pancreatic cancer: past, present and future of treatment

ABSTRACT

Pancreatic cancer is highly lethal disease that is rising in incidence. Chemotherapy based on 5-fluorouracil [5-FU] has shown to prolong survival in advanced pancreatic cancer modestly. Gemcitabine improves major symptoms and survival outcomes compared with 5-FU. Many compounds have been investigated. These compounds are based on classical mechanisms of action as well as biological therapies targeting cellular pathways, and include fluoropyrimidines, nucleoside cytidine analogues, platinum analogues, topoisomerase inhibitors, antimicrotubule agents, proteasome inhibitors, vitamin D analogues, arachidonic acid pathway inhibitors, histone deacytylator inhibitors, farnesyltransferase inhibitors, epidermal growth factor receptor therapies and many more. Out of these some have shown their promise. Many more compounds are being tested and real advances are anticipated in the near future