Investigating how pancreatic cancer uses nutrients to survive

Pilot Study to Investigate Targetable Metabolic Pathways Sustaining Pancreatic Cancer and Associated Genomic Alterations

This study is testing how pancreatic cancer uses sugar to survive by looking at tissue samples from patients during surgery to see if it behaves differently than normal pancreatic cells.

Quick facts

• Phase: Not applicable
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 16 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Academic / other)
• Drugs / interventions: chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation
• Locations: 2 sites (Livingston, New Jersey and 1 other locations)
• Trial ID: NCT05296421 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial explores the metabolic pathways that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) relies on for survival. By administering uniformly-labeled [13C]glucose during surgery, researchers aim to trace the metabolic activity of pancreatic cancer cells compared to normal pancreatic cells. The study involves collecting biopsies from patients undergoing surgery to analyze the metabolic dependencies of the cancer using advanced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques. The goal is to uncover new insights into how these tumors manage nutrients, which could inform future treatment strategies.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include adults aged 18 and older with a diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma who are eligible for curative surgery.

Not a fit: Patients currently receiving anti-cancer therapies or those not eligible for surgery may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to targeted therapies that disrupt the metabolic processes of pancreatic cancer, improving patient outcomes.

How similar studies have performed: While the specific approach of using U-13C-glucose in pancreatic cancer is novel, similar metabolic studies have shown promise in other cancer types.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Male or female patients \>= 18 years of age
* Pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients, previously diagnosed by biopsy, who are candidates for intended curative resection either with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy
* Willing to undergo mandatory intraoperative small excisional and core biopsies (4-6 passes) of tumor and normal tissue for research purposes at the time of proposed pancreatectomy
* 16 patients will be enrolled including 8 with no prior treatment and 8 treated with at least 3 months of neoadjuvant chemotherapy
* All patients must be able to understand the investigational nature of the study and give written informed consent prior to study entry

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients receiving any anti-cancer therapy (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and/or biologic therapy) for 8 patients; the other 8 patients will be treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy but no radiation, biologic or immunotherapy prior to surgery
* Is currently enrolled, or will enroll in, a different clinical study in which investigational therapeutic procedures are performed or investigational therapies are administered while participating in this study
* Concomitant active malignancy
* Is of child-bearing potential who has not had a recent negative pregnancy test done outside of this clinical trial (i.e., as part of standard preparation for diagnosis and treatment for her cancer)

Where this trial is running

Livingston, New Jersey and 1 other locations

• Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (Saint Barnabas Medical Center) — Livingston, New Jersey, United States (Recruiting)
• Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey — New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Howard S Hochster, MD — Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
• Study coordinator: Howard Hochster, MD

Conditions Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma