Pancreatic cancer is among the 12 most common cancers with 50% of patients dying three months after it is detected. The issue with pancreatic cancer is that it is rarely detected early making treatment difficult. Now researchers from the University of Nottingham, Stanford University, University of California and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have found a gene that they hope can help treat pancreatic cancer more effectively.
The HNF4A (Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 Alpha) gene is found to stop working in the body of pancreatic cancer patients. HNF4A is important for the health of the human body because it helps the organs to function properly. Its absence encourages the development of pancreatic cancer and makes it more aggressive.
With the HNF4A gene identified as being linked to the development of pancreatic cancer, scientists can use this information to develop treatments and prevent it from spreading. Researchers hope that a new understanding of how this mechanism occurs will help pave the way for new treatment techniques that help fight the disease.
In 80% of situations, this cancer is only detected when it is too late and it has spread to other organs. Among the well-known pancreatic cancer victims are Steve Jobs, Dr. Syed Husin Ali and Alex Trebek. The study was published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances.