Intensive pre-surgery treatment for borderline and locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Total Neoadjuvant Therapy (TNT) for Borderline Resectable and Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

NIH-funded research Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11169814

This gives strong combination chemotherapy followed by high-dose targeted radiation before surgery for people with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic cancer to shrink tumors and make surgery possible.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionSloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11169814 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would receive all planned systemic treatment before surgery, starting with four months of a three-drug chemotherapy regimen called NALIRIFOX. After chemotherapy you would get ablative-dose, highly focused radiation to the tumor before the surgical team re-evaluates whether the tumor can be removed. The trial team will collect blood and tumor samples to search for biological markers that predict who benefits or resists treatment. This phase II program is designed to increase the number of patients who can safely have curative surgery.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma involving major abdominal vessels who are fit enough for multi-drug chemotherapy and radiation are the intended participants.

Not a fit: Patients with widely metastatic disease, those too frail for intensive chemo/radiation, or those with prior incompatible treatments are unlikely to benefit from this approach.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase the number of people whose tumors shrink enough to permit curative surgery and reduce unnecessary operations.

How similar studies have performed: Pre-surgery (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy and radiation have shown promise in pancreatic cancer, but combining NALIRIFOX with ablative-dose radiation is a newer strategy being tested here.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.