PHASE IIA TRIAL TESTING ERLOTINIB AS AN INTERVENTION AGAINST INTRADUCTAL PANCREA

University Of California, San Diego, La Jolla CA

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Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. An important approach to improve survival for patients with pancreatic cancer would be treatment of pre-neoplastic lesions before they progress to pancreatic cancer. Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMNs) are a precursor lesion that can progress to pancreatic adenocarcinoma. IPMNs also metastasize to other organ sites even before progression to pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and ultimately kill patients on their own. There is currently no approved drug for treatment of IPMNs and therefore the only treatment is surgical removal of the pancreas. However, not all patients are healthy enough to tolerate a major surgery like pancreatectomy (for example, elderly patients). Furthermore, a significant proportion of patients with completely resected IPMNs develop pancreatic adenocarcinoma and die of disseminated IPMN or pancreatic adenocarcinoma disease.