09/17/2025 | Estado de Minas

https://www.em.com.br/saude/2025/09/amp/7249764-estudo-traz-esperanca-para-pacientes-com-cancer-de-pancreas-nao-operavel.html 

Highly Lethal and Difficult-to-Treat Tumor Gets New Therapeutic Approach

The use of electric fields on inoperable pancreatic cancer, combined with chemotherapy, increased overall and pain-free survival in patients with the disease. This is shown by a phase 31 North American study published in the journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Until now, therapy that uses electric fields to prevent tumor cell proliferation was limited to the treatment of glioblastomas, a type of brain tumor. The work brought hope to people with this difficult-to-treat disease—only 13% of patients survive five years after diagnosis.

The study involved 571 adults with adenocarcinoma, the pancreatic tumor that accounts for 95% of cases. All underwent chemotherapy. But only 50% received electrical waves. "Compared to other tumors, pancreatic cancer has few treatment options. Therefore, this study is very welcome, especially because it suggests an alternative without side effects, such as the electrical field," notes Ana Carolina Nobre, oncologist at Oncologia D'Or.

Diagnosing pancreatic cancer is challenging because symptoms only appear in an advanced stage, when signs such as jaundice, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, and abdominal and back pain appear. Late detection and aggressive behavior make pancreatic cancer a highly lethal disease. "Even when diagnosed in its early stages, the tumor may not be resectable if it has invaded blood vessels," explains the specialist.

The PANOVA study, conducted in 20 countries under the coordination of the Mayo Clinic, followed patients for five years. After 12 months, 68% of those who underwent the new therapy were alive, 8% more than the control group. Pain-free survival was 15 months in patients undergoing electrical waves, significantly longer than the nine months recorded in the other group.

The Disease
Pancreatic cancer is the 14th most prevalent tumor in the country, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer. By 2025, 10,980 cases of the disease are expected to be diagnosed, accounting for 5% of deaths from all types of cancer in Brazil.

Between 2011 and 2020 alone, the fatality rate for this neoplasm increased by 53.9%, rising from 7,726 to 11,8934. Although more common in men, it has been increasing among women, becoming one of the ten most common types of cancer among women in the South, Southeast, and Central-West regions.

This phenomenon is not limited to Brazil. A statistical study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association projected cancer incidence and mortality in the United States between 2020 and 2040. It is predicted that, in 17 years, pancreatic cancer will be the second most deadly cancer, behind only lung cancer.

The disease has a multifactorial origin, associated with family history and external factors such as obesity, smoking, diabetes, and alcoholism. It is most common after age 60. According to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), incidence increases with advancing age. In the 40-50 age group, ten cases are recorded per 100,000 inhabitants. Between the ages of 80 and 85, this proportion rises to 116 cases per 100,000.

Preventive measures include weight control, physical activity, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, not smoking, and avoiding alcoholic beverages and ultra-processed foods. There is no screening test to detect pancreatic cancer early.