Pancreatic cancer is one deadliest forms of cancer. According to the World Health Organization, although it ranks only as the 12th most common cancer globally, its mortality rate is shockingly high, making it the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. There are many reasons why the death rates are high, from late detection, aggressive nature, to resistance to most treatments.
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But there’s good news: Spanish scientists made a major breakthrough in pancreatic cancer research in mice, where a triple-drug therapy eliminated tumours by targeting the KRAS pathway. Why is this significant? The tumours in mice disappeared without any major side effects. Usually, cancer-related treatments come with adverse side effects too, which worsen health, but this development is optimistic. The study was published on PNAS on December 2, 2025.
Let’s take a closer look at what this breakthrough involves, as well as some early pancreatic cancer symptoms you need to watch out for. Since the death rate is high, early detection is crucial to ensure timely treatment.
What did the study find?
The research studied a specific form of pancreatic cancer- Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This type of pancreatic cancer, as per the researchers, have very low survival rate. So in the previous research, the scientists attempted to treat the tumours with RAS inhibitors. The tumours developed because of the mutation sin the KRAS gene. But the main problem with this treatment was that tumours would very quickly develop resistance, despite showing promise in the beginning. This deems single-drug therapies ineffective.
But what did this new research find? Based on what the study revealed, the scientist targeted multiple pathways instead of just blocking the KRAS pathway, like the previous therapies. This treatment used a triple-drug therapy where a three-drug combination was used. This eliminated tumours in the mouse without any sign of tumour resistance in over 200 days after administering the drugs. This treatment is noteworthy as the triple-dug combination indicated safety, suggesting there were no severe side effects.
This is a major milestone and step forward in pancreatic cancer research, as pancreatic cancer tumours often become drug resistant, but the study provides hope that by attacking multiple KRAS pathways at the same time, the tumours can be eliminated. It opens new doors for better treatments and enhanced survival rates, too.
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer’s symptoms may overlap with other conditions, making them easy to miss, which results in late detection. The first step is to recognise the warning signs, which can help in timely detection and outcomes.
John Hopkins Medicine shared the common signs and symptoms:
- Stomach and back pain: Dull pain in the upper abdomen (belly) and/or middle or upper back that comes and goes.
- Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, pale, greasy stools that float in the toilet, and itchy skin.
- Weight loss: Unexplained and unintentional weight loss.
- Gastrointestinal (GI) problems: Loss of appetite, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, bloating or swelling in the abdomen.
- Fatigue: Extreme tiredness.
- Diabetes
Factors which cause pancreatic cancer
Prevention is vital as early detection can make a big difference when it comes to how you respond to the treatment, and in the end also improve outcomes.
The American Cancer Society shared the most common risk factors to get a better understanding of what is behind one of the most ‘silent’ cancers:
- Tobacco use: People who smoke are about twice as likely to develop this cancer as compared to non-smokers. 1 in 4 cases can be traced back to smoking. Any other tobacco product also increases the risk.
- Excess body weight: Being overweight/obese is also one of the risk factors. There is around a 20 per cent risk for people with a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 30.
- Diabetes: Diabetic people have a high chance of developing pancreatic cancer.
- Chronic pancreatitis: This is a disease where the pancreas has long-term inflammation. Heavy drinkers are likely to develop this condition, which in turn leads to pancreatic cancer.
Besides these risk factors, some cannot be changed. For example, the risk of pancreatic cancer increases with age, with about two-thirds of patients being around 65 years old. Men are slightly more likely than women to develop this type of cancer, and a family history of pancreatic cancer also raises the risk.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
