'Brake gene' turned off in pancreatic cancer

[hue]

Source: BBC News (health)

Aggressive pancreatic tumours may be treatable with a new class of drugs, according to Cancer Research UK

Less than one in five people with this form of cancer are still alive a year after being diagnosed.

A study, published in the journal Nature, showed that a gene was being switched off in the cancerous cells.

The researchers said drugs were already being tested which had the potential to turn the gene back on, to stop the spread of the cancer.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17870315

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This is really good news as this is an especially aggressive, painful and hard to treat cancer.

[Javaman]

1. "Less than one in five people with this form of cancer"...

..."are still alive a year after being diagnosed."

I know it's statistics, but is one oddly worded sentence.

[livetohike]

2. Thanks for posting this great news

I lost my Dad to pancreatic cancer in 2004 and my paternal Grandfather in 1979.

[Tom1960]

4. My ex-wife passed to pancreatic cancer this past December less than 3 months after her initial

diagnosis. Fortunately, I had an opportunity to visit her a couple of weeks before she passed and make amends for the pain I had caused her.

When I saw her I really hoped she would last a little long but I think we both knew she wasn't going to be here long. She was only 54 for god's sake.

[livetohike]

5. I'm so sorry for the loss of your ex.....it's great that you visited her. She was too young....

my Dad lived onley 3 weeks after his diagnosis. The main reason he died so soon is when he had the Cat Scan, they didn't know or test, that he was allergic to the dye they use. All of his organs began to "shut down". He was 80 years old and my Grandpa was 79 when diagnosed and died 6 months later.

My brother lost his best friend to pancreatic cancer in 2002. He was 39 years old .

It's an ugly, horrible disease. Any good news on treatment/cure is welcome.

[Tom1960]

10. I'm sorry as well for your losses.

It makes us survivors more aware of the preciousness of each day.

[leftynyc]

12. My dad has it also

Was diagnosed back in October. A wretched disease. Was yours caught early?

[livetohike]

14. My Dad's was caught early and his oncologist thought he was a good

candidate for chemo. The dye used during the cat scan is what caused his death so early after diagnosis (three weeks). Apparently, my Dad was allergic to the dye. I've had a couple cat scans since then and will not allow them to use the dye....

I'm sorry for your Dad's diagnosis . There are new treatments available since my Dad passed away and early detection is a good thing, too.

[leftynyc]

18. Dad's been on chemo since Oct

His tumor markers were going down but then he had a liver issue (bile duct) and couldn't be on it for 3 weeks so they've bombarded him with chemo since then (this was around 3 weeks ago) and it's hitting him very hard - he sleeps almost the whole day. Mom just called to tell me they've given him a script for medical marijuana to stimulate his appetite (which sucks - his appetite, not the MJ). We've never had anyone sick before in the family so it's been a very hard time.

I'm so sorry about your dad. This disease sucks big.

[livetohike]

20. Thanks

I'm sorry your Dad is having a hard time right now. I hope the marijuana helps. In trying to get my Dad to eat, we ran out to his favorite restaurants and picked up his favorite things and he would take a bite and that was it. I even went over to my Mom's and made a batch of pyrohi (Slovak ravioli) for him. He took two bites and my brothers gobbled down the rest. ( I was living in CA at the time and out of work, so I drove home to PA to be with my Dad).

I know how frustrating this is. Sending positive thoughts for calmness and strength and peace for your Dad and your family.

[livetohike]

16. Thanks Tom1960

[SnowCritter]

6. Took my father, too!

[livetohike]

17. I'm sorry for your loss SnowCritter

For such a "rare" disease, I know quite a few people who have died from it .

[KurtNYC]

3. Hot dogs, lunch meat and bacon

all correlate strongly with the development of pancreatic cancer and it is a death sentence.

I can live without hot dogs but I do loves me some bacon. Hopefully we are on track to have better weapons against this and all cancers.

[Stuckinthebush]

7. What is the maximum dose of bacon, etc. one can have?

Are we talking any amount of bacon, hot dogs, or lunch meats - or is a moderate amount ok?

[KurtNYC]

8. it is the nitrates in these foods that cause problems for the pancreas

There are nitrate-free version of hot dogs and bacon but they spoil sooner and are more expensive.

For the study, researchers reviewed 11 studies and case reports on more than 6,000 pancreatic cancer patients, looking for a link between eating red and processed meats and cancer. The researchers found the raised risk was tied to every 50 grams of processed meat a person eats per day. If you're the type who eats 150 grams of processed meat a day - from only three sausages or six strips of bacon - your pancreatic cancer risk shoots up 57 percent, the study suggests.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57358898-10391704/pancreatic-cancer-risk-increases-with-every-2-strips-of-bacon-you-eat-study/

[Posteritatis]

19. Now I've got the concept of a bacon LD50 in my head. (nt)

[grasswire]

9. my mother was gone in three months from diagnosis

It's a cruel, cruel disease.

[Dr_Scholl]

13. Yes it is.

I lost my grandfather to pancreatic cancer in September 2008 at age 75. He lived 6 months almost to the day he was diagnosed.

[honeylady]

11. My good friend is still alive after 4 years

She has been under going a drug trial for the past several years. Perhaps this is the drug she is taking. I'm constantly amazed at how good she looks. We all thought she had received a death sentence.

[Uncle Joe]

15. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, hue.

[FailureToCommunicate]

21. My younger brother died of PC three years ago today, May 1st

We tried many things, he fought bravely, but there was no stopping it.

Maybe some day the advancements noted above will help.

I hope so, I hope so...


Thanks, hue, for the post

[Arugula Latte]

22. What a great thing it would be if they could develop an effective treatment for PC

Such a terrible, terrible disease...