Pancreatic cancer: research and innovative treatment
Pancreatic cancer is a complex disease that requires specialist care. Support Casper funds pioneering research aimed at improving both survival and quality of life for people with pancreatic cancer.
What is pancreatic cancer?
Pancreatic cancer develops when cells in the pancreas begin to grow uncontrollably. About 90% of cases are adenocarcinomas, which arise in the cells lining the pancreatic ducts and are often found in the head of the pancreas. Because the pancreas lies deep in the abdomen, behind the stomach and liver, a tumour is often discovered only at an advanced stage. This makes pancreatic cancer particularly difficult to treat.
View symptoms of pancreatic cancer
Why pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat
Research shows that the structure of pancreatic tumours is one reason treatment is so challenging. A tumour is often surrounded by a dense layer of connective tissue that can prevent medicines, including chemotherapy, from reaching the cancer cells effectively. Support Casper funds research into ways of overcoming this barrier.
Innovative treatments and research
Thanks to your support, Professor Casper van Eijck and his research teams can develop new therapies that go beyond current standard care. Their work focuses on two main approaches:
- Immunotherapy: training the patient's immune system to recognise and destroy pancreatic cancer cells.
- Virotherapy: using oncolytic viruses to target cancer cells while limiting damage to healthy tissue.
Support the fight against pancreatic cancer
Research into this aggressive disease takes time and substantial funding. Your support is vital. Together, we can work towards making pancreatic cancer a treatable disease with a far better outlook.
Support pancreatic cancer research