Abraxane improves survival in pancreatic cancer patients

Abraxane, a chemotherapy drug for breast cancer, can be used in combination with the standard treatment to help pancreatic cancer patients live longer, an Australian study revealed on Tuesday. Australian oncologist David Goldstein has presented the research findings at an American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in San Francisco, local media reported. According to Goldstein, results from clinical trials of the drug combined with the standard treatment are encouraging. The research found four percent of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with the combination had survived for three years, compared with zero survival for those on only the standard treatment, gemcitabine. The trial conducted at sites around the world involved 861 patients, including 120 Australians. Each year, around 2,500 people are diagnosed with the deadly disease in Australia, with only six percent of them surviving five years. Pancreatic cancer is hard to detect early and people diagnosed after it has spread are likely to die within six months.