Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough

Pancreatic cancer is predicted to become the second-deadliest form of cancer in the United States by 2030. However, a breakthrough by scientists at a New York laboratory could potentially change this prediction.

The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) research team has identified a way to “intercept” pancreatic cancer in its early stages and prevent the highly aggressive disease from spreading. The pancreas, located behind the stomach and in front of the spine, plays a crucial role in regulating digestion and blood sugar levels.

The new study, published in the journal Cancer Research, comes at a time when an estimated 67,440 people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2025, and over 51,980 will die from the disease, according to statistics from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI additionally reported that of all major cancers, pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate, making it the third leading cause of cancer-related death after lung cancer and colon cancer.

Early detection of pancreatic cancer is difficult because the pancreas is so deep inside the body that doctors cannot see or feel early tumors during routine physical exams, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

What also makes pancreatic cancer hard to diagnose is that patients usually do not have symptoms until the cancer has become very large or has already spread to other organs, the ACS says. So, by the time it’s diagnosed, it’s often difficult to treat.

The CSHL Research Team Discovery

Claudia Tonelli, who led the CSHL research team, said that 95 percent of pancreatic cancer patients have mutations in KRAS, a gene commonly associated with cancer. Tonelli explained that KRAS becomes mutated by another gene called FGFR2, which makes the “early versions” of pancreatic cancer more aggressive.

“Understanding the role of FGFR2 helps us get ahead of the disease before it escalates,” Tonelli said in a statement.

The CSHL scientists worked with mice and lab-grown versions of human pancreatic tissue in an attempt to prevent the pancreatic tissue from becoming cancerous. The researchers noticed that the tumor formation slowed considerably when they blocked FGFR2 at just the right moment.

When they targeted FGFR2 and EGFR, a protein known to accelerate pancreatic cancer, they were able to prevent pancreatic cancer from forming in the first place.

“With an increasing number of FGFR2 inhibitors entering the clinic, our study lays the foundation to explore their use in combination with EGFR inhibitors for pancreatic cancer interception,” Tonelli said in a statement.

The CSHL team members believe that patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer are likely to be among the first to benefit from their research.

The news of CSHL’s major discovery gives Bill Reindl and his family a sense of hope. Reindl, 68, has stage 4 pancreatic cancer and will need to undergo chemotherapy for the rest of his life to treat the disease.

“Like probably most people, I was in denial for a little while—this couldn’t be possible,” Reindl told FOX 5 New York. Now, Reindl has a better outlook, thanks to the new research.

“It’s a golden ticket, a second chance,” Amy Pollaci, Reindl’s daughter, told Fox 5 New York.

Common Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

The risk of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age, which is why medical experts recommend that adults over 50 learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of the disease.

The initial symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be vague and nonspecific. What’s more, some signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer are typical of other health conditions. For example, one of the symptoms is back pain, which is also common in other conditions, such as arthritis or bulging or ruptured disks. However, as the pancreatic cancer grows, the symptoms become evident and intense. Some of the signs and symptoms include:

Diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, is also a sign of pancreatic cancer. In fact, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PCAN) reports that diabetes can either be a risk factor or a symptom of pancreatic cancer. According to PCAN, pancreatic cancer is more likely to develop in people who have had diabetes for five years. Studies suggest that diabetes developed in adults over 50 may be an early symptom of pancreatic cancer.

Medical experts say that knowing the various signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer can lead to earlier diagnosis and possibly better survival rates for those with the disease.

Source Links:

https://nypost.com/2025/04/10/us-news/long-island-lab-finds-breakthrough-against-pancreatic-cancer/
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/researchers-long-island-lab-discover-breakthrough-slows-pancreatic-cancer-progression
https://www.cshl.edu/in-pancreatic-cancer-a-race-against-time/
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/pancreatic-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-and-symptoms.html
https://pancan.org/facing-pancreatic-cancer/living-with-pancreatic-cancer/diet-and-nutrition/diabetes-and-pancreatic-cancer/