Retrospective review of patient records with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.- Shire plc

Shire plc announced results from a retrospective review of more than 2,500 patient records with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (mPAC) from nine countries. The results � presented on 20 June at the 20th ESMO World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer 2018 (ESMO-GI) in Barcelona � showed variation across Europe in the symptoms reported at initial diagnosis, and in treatment decisions made in the first-line and second-line metastatic settings. The research suggests that enhanced recognition of symptoms and a standardized treatment approach, especially in the second-line setting, may help improve diagnosis, patient care and outcomes.

�Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is typically diagnosed late in the course of the disease, when outcomes are generally poor,� said Floris de Jong, Ph.D., Global Medical Franchise Lead Solid Tumors at Shire Pharmaceuticals. �These analyses from patient records and NAPOLI-1 collectively provide important new insights for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with this difficult-to-treat cancer. Specifically, the results of the retrospective review indicate that enhanced awareness of, and attention to symptoms both by health care providers and the public at large may help improve mPAC diagnosis, care and outcomes."

Researchers also presented new data from four subgroups of the global phase III NAPOLI-1 study in an oral session. These subgroups included: the presence of metabolism and nutrition disorders at baseline, including diabetes mellitus and decreased appetite; the location of the primary tumor site; the presence of a biliary stent at baseline and response to prior therapy. The search for innovative new therapies in pancreatic cancer remains a serious unmet need. Relatively little progress has been made in preventing, detecting and treating the disease relative to other leading cancer killers, and survival rates for pancreatic cancer remain one of the lowest among other types of cancer.