New Clinical Trial to Focus on Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer

The Cancer Center at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) is offering a new clinical trial for patients with previously untreated Stage IV pancreatic cancer. All patients enrolled in this clinical trial will receive the standard chemotherapy used to treat pancreatic cancer and some will receive chemotherapy in combination with a novel monoclonal antibody called bavituximab. NGMC is one of five sites in Georgia participating in the study.

“In prior clinical studies for other cancers, bavituximab in combination with chemotherapy has demonstrated promising tumor response and survival for cancer patients when compared to separate studies using chemotherapy alone,” says Andrew W. Pippas, MD, an oncologist at the John B. Amos Cancer Center and Principal Investigator of the clinical trial for the five trial sites in Georgia.

This clinical trial is provided through the Georgia Center for Oncology Research (Georgia CORE).  Georgia CORE, which was established as a catalyst to increase availability of and access to clinical trials, is one of only a handful of research alliances and centers across the nation offering this trial.

Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest cancers in the United States with a five-year relative survival rate of just six percent. As part of an effort to double the survival rate for the disease by 2020, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is calling attention to the need for increased participation in clinical trials. Clinical trials are vital to making progress and developing new treatments for any disease.  In particular for pancreatic cancer, the lack of treatment options currently available for patients make clinical trials an extremely important part of the research process as scientists seek new, better treatment options that will ultimately increase survival.

“Clinical trials are especially important for pancreatic cancer because so few effective treatment options exist, which is reflected in the dire statistics for this disease. Through participation in clinical trials, patients have access to cutting edge research and are taking an active role in advancing pancreatic cancer research. Clinical trials pave the way to therapeutic breakthroughs,” said Julie Fleshman, president and CEO of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

To learn more about this clinical trial at the Cancer Center at NGMC,  call 770-219-8820 or visit Cancer Trials.