[Medicinal treatment of pancreatic cancer : Still a domain of chemotherapy?]

Abstract

Background: Pancreatic cancer is among the most fatal of all known human malignancies and novel therapeutic concepts are urgently required.

Objectives: A brief overview of currently available options for systemic therapy is provided with a focus on new developments in recent years. In addition, an outlook on possible relevant trends for future advancements is given.

Data situation: Although the systemic treatment of pancreatic cancer remains challenging, in recent years significant progress has been made in cytostatic chemotherapy in palliative as well as adjuvant settings. While immunotherapeutic approaches currently remain restricted to selected individual cases, the systemic molecular genetic characterization and individualized targeted therapeutic approaches are increasingly gaining in importance.

Conclusion: Treatment of pancreatic cancer patients currently remains a domain of cytostatic chemotherapy but novel approaches are emerging that have the potential to revolutionize the therapeutic landscape of pancreatic cancer in the near future.

Keywords: Ductal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic; Immunotherapy; KRAS protein, human; Molecular targeted therapy; Palliative care.