54°F
weather icon Clear

Study offers rare advance for some pancreatic cancer patients

Updated June 25, 2019 - 10:30 pm

CHICAGO — Patients with pancreatic cancer that hadn’t spread lived substantially longer on a four-drug combo than on a single standard cancer drug,

It’s a rare advance for a tough-to-beat cancer, and experts say it could be practice-changing for a small group of patients whose pancreatic cancer is diagnosed early enough to be removed by surgery.

Results were reported Monday at a medical meeting in Chicago.

The study tested folfirinox against the standard treatment, Gemzar. Folfirinox combines four chemotherapy drugs.

Two-thirds of patients given folfirinox were alive after three years versus half of those given Gemzar.

Nearly 500 patients in France and Canada were enrolled.

MOST READ
Exco Sidebar
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
MORE STORIES
THE LATEST
Ringo Starr not afraid to shake it up with new record

“These songs touch deep emotions, which is what I always loved about the great singers like Hank Williams,” Ringo Starr says of his new country album.

Las Vegas hospital to expand with inpatient rehab unit

The new unit will allow for patients to recover at the hospital after surgery or medical events, rather than being transferred to another location.

3 key questions if you want to grow old gracefully

To prevent falls, geriatricians say people should start asking themselves questions about their balance as early as 50 years old.

Is breathing from your belly beneficial?

When it comes to the correct way to breathe, it doesn’t matter whether you breathe through your nose or your mouth. Where you breathe from matters.

 
What you can do to lower your dementia risk

A new study found a higher lifetime risk than previously thought: After age 55, people have up to a 4 in 10 chance of eventually developing dementia.

Robbie Williams favors ‘raw honesty’ in new biopic

“Better Man” tells the pop star’s tale through the persona of a monkey. “People found it odd at first, but that’s OK. I’m odd,” he says.