Clinical implementation of immune monitoring in pancreatic cancer
The immune system plays an important role in both the development and control of cancer. Immune monitoring maps the full range of immune cells in patients with pancreatic cancer and compares them with those of healthy volunteers, helping researchers identify which cells are not functioning properly.
Patients are followed through the immunotherapy outpatient clinic at Erasmus MC, with blood collected regularly during treatment. Since January 2017, the study has included 34 patients treated with Ampligen immunotherapy and 105 patients receiving standard care for operable, locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer.
The results are now being analysed. By observing the immune system during different treatments, researchers hope to identify where immunotherapy is needed and how malfunctioning immune cells might be supported.