Pancreatic cancer is known to be one of the most problematic forms of cancer. Researchers around the world are still trying to find an adequate treatment for this disease. While surgical operation has been the dominant procedure for treating pancreatic cancer, adjuvant therapies such as radiation or chemotherapy (although the survival rate is still poor) also exist. Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to detect at its initial invasion, despite modern radiographic technology. This means that patients discover the cancer when it is already in an advanced stage, making surgical resection difficult. A new strategy for medical practice in pancreatic cancer is much needed. Gene therapy is currently in the spotlight as a promising new method for cancer cure. Many studies have revealed the potential of this therapy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, and early clinical trials are taking place to evaluate the success of gene therapy regimes in humans. Here we discuss basic scientific principles and clinical experience with respect to these regimes, including antisense strategies, gene- directed prodrug activation therapy, promoter-gene strategies and oncolytic viral therapy.
Copyright 2002 Prous Science