Pioneering trial offers hope on world pancreatic cancer day

Robinson Fellow, Dr Bristi Basu, is Chief Investigator of an early-stage trial at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, which aims to improve treatment for people with late-stage pancreatic cancer, a challenging cancer that is often diagnosed late, when few treatment options are available.

Clinicians at Addenbrooke’s are highlighting the trial on world pancreatic cancer day (20 Nov). Pancreatic cancer is the tenth most common cancer in the UK. Around 10,000 people are diagnosed each year. Of these, at least 40 percent are diagnosed when the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body (stage 4).

The CRISTAL-APC trial is led from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) and the University of Cambridge. It aims to improve treatment for people with stage 4 pancreatic cancer by reducing side effects without reducing efficacy. The trial will combine chemotherapy with a drug known as VP-002. VP-002 has been developed based on research performed in Cambridge led by Dr Tony Wu and Dr Michael Gill at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge.

Dr Bristi Basu, hopes that the combination of VP-002 and chemotherapy will be more effective against the cancer, while causing less harm to patients.

"We have so few options available to help people diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. With CRISTAL-APC, we’ve worked with patients to design a trial that has the potential to give them more time but also a better quality of life. It could make a huge difference for these people and their families".

Dr Bristi Basu, an honorary consultant medical oncologist at CUH and clinical senior research associate in the Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge. Photo credit: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Basu, who also co-leads the Pancreatic Cancer Programme at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, notes that the treatment is not expected to be a cure, but that it could slow disease progression and give people more quality time with their family and friends.

VP-002 is being developed by Cycle Pharmaceuticals, who have also funded the trial. The trial is being run from the National Institute of Health & Care Research (NIHR) Cambridge Clinical Research Facility (CRF) and the NIHR Cambridge Clinical Trials Unit a UK clinical research collaboration (UKCRC) registered academic clinical trials unit.

Read the full article on the CUH website here and interview with Dan Mason at Greatest Hits Radio here