Update on breakthrough pancreatic cancer success

This article was originally published in March 2010 but recently, at the request of one of our readers, we followed up with Dr Dean.  The original article is shown directly below and the update is below that. VMC founder and medical director Dr Andrew Dean is fielding accolades from the Australian media after his work in the incredible recovery of a Perth great-grandmother from the grip of cancer.

Doctors predicted the worst for Margaret Thompson, 74, last year, as she lay dying with advanced pancreatic cancer.

As a medical oncologist in Subiaco, Dr Dean pursued approval on compassionate grounds to treat Ms Thompson with Abraxane (nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab-) paclitaxel), a drug usually only given to breast cancer patients.

Dr Dean was aware of a small trial that had explored the use of nab-paclitaxel in this type of cancer, as well as showing effectiveness in non-small cell lung cancer.

After Dr Dean treated Ms Thompson, using a combination of nab-paclitaxel and chemotherapy, she has not only beaten the tumour but is able to live with a high quality of life considering her ordeal.

When Ms Thompson was diagnosed six months ago, she initially received traditional therapies; however, they did not stop the cancer spreading to her liver and lungs, leaving her completely debilitated.

Then after only three months of the combined therapy, the tumour shrunk more than 60% and has now practically disappeared.

Dr Dean’s treatment and these phenomenal results have broken ground in the approach to pancreatic cancer, one of the biggest killers in Australia.

So thanks to Dr Dean and his brave patient, the drug’s distributors, Specialised Therapeutics Australia, will seek TGA approval to broaden the scope of the drug. It has received particular interest of late because, unlike other drugs in its class, it contains albumin and is free of solvents, therefore dramatically reducing side effects and allergic reactions.

A bigger trial of nab-paclitaxel in pancreatic cancer patients is now happening in Australia, so we can expect to see further results of its potential in the near future.

For the moment, Dr Dean recommends cancer patients to open a dialogue with their oncologist to discuss what treatments are available to them.

Update: Ms Thompson remains in excellent health and in complete remission (17/8/2011)

Dr Dean recently confirmed that Ms Thompson is alive and well and is still in complete remission. However, he extended his sympathy to those people for whom this treatment did not work.

“Abraxane appears to have helped a significant number of patients with pancreatic cancer. Like any cancer treatment, it does not work for everyone and we are sorry to hear of your loss.

The true proportion of patients who respond to this treatment will be shown when the current phase 3 trial is complete. Rigorously conducted clinical trials are the only way we can ever be sure that new drugs do indeed work. We hope that the study under way will prove fruitful in giving patients with pancreatic cancer more treatment options,” he said.