WESTERN CONNECTICUT HEALTH NETWORK LAUNCHES 3-YEAR TRIAL TO SCREEN NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS FOR EARLY STAGE PANCREATIC CANCER
Western Connecticut Health Network (WCHN) has just announced the launch of a $2.7 million 3-year research study that will investigate the link between new-onset diabetes and pancreatic cancer. The main goal is to detect the often lethal cancer at a curable stage. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal of human malignancies, with five-year survival rates of only 8 percent. It is on a trajectory to become the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the US by 2020.
The study was developed by a team of physicians and researchers at the WCHN, led by Dr. Richard Frank, Director of Clinical Cancer Research for WCHN. “The idea for the study came from an increasing appreciation of the link between diabetes and pancreatic cancer in those over 50 years of age. In particular, new-onset diabetes (diagnosed within the past year) is estimated to carry a seven-fold increased risk of the cancer in the first 3 years after a diagnosis of diabetes, “ explained Dr. Frank. “This gives us the opportunity to attempt to detect pancreatic cancer at a very early stage,” he explained.
Estimates are that fewer than 1 out of 100 individuals with new-onset diabetes will develop pancreatic cancer. Still there is great enthusiasm for the study. “We need to start somewhere,” explained Dr. Steven Brandwein, a study co-investigator and Western Connecticut Medical Group gastroenterologist. “Our expansive health care network is uniquely positioned to spearhead this type of research, which requires strong collaboration with primary care physician groups, as well as specialists in endocrinology, radiology, gastroenterology, pathology and surgery, all of whom are part of the network family.”
Study participants will undergo annual magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pancreas for three years. A specific MRI protocol was developed by WCHN radiologists Drs. Ronald Lee and James Bauman. Suspicious lesions will be further investigated by a gastroenterologist using a special type of ultrasound (called EUS or endoscopic ultrasound) for the presence of cancer or pre-cancerous changes. Participants will also donate a sample of blood every six months in order to create a serum biobank that may contain the earliest clues of pancreatic cancer at the DNA level.
Since a blood test would be the optimal way to screen for pancreatic cancer, WCHN researchers will use the blood samples to identify a biomarker that does not currently exist.
James Naughton, Tony Award-winning star of theater, film and television, and his family hosted A Tribute to Pamela, an evening of musical entertainment featuring Naughton, daughter Keira, a Broadway and television actress; son Greg, singer and songwriter; and daughter-in-law Kelli O’Hara, Tony Award winner for her role as Anna in the King and I. The benefit event, honoring the legacy of Naughton’s late wife Pamela, raised over $1 million for pancreatic cancer research.
“We need to make serious inroads into the early diagnosis and treatment of this disease,” concluded Dr. Frank. “We hope this study makes a significant contribution to the field and, in the end, saves lives.”
For more information on the study, contact research nurse practitioner Tammy Lo, APRN at 203-855-3551 or Tammy.Lo@wchn.org
About Western Connecticut Health Network
Western Connecticut Health Network is the region's premier, patient-centered health care organization serving residents of Western Connecticut and adjacent New York. The organization is anchored by three nationally recognized hospitals, Danbury Hospital, New Milford Hospital and Norwalk Hospital, and their affiliated organizations. The continuum of care offered includes numerous Western Connecticut Medical Group medical and sub-specialty practices, home health care services, a nationally renowned biomedical research institute, the Danbury Hospital & New Milford Hospital Foundation, the Norwalk Hospital Foundation and other affiliates. For more information, visit WCHN.org. Share your comments with us at Facebook.com/DanburyHospital; Facebook.com/NewMilfordHospital and/or Facebook.com/NorwalkHospital.