“ A real difference is emerging for this cancer, which had seen no medical progress for 40 years."For about ten years, ," biologist Patrick Mehlen, a researcher at the Léon Bérard cancer center in Lyon (east-central France), explained to AFP, " There is more funding, therefore more interest from researchers", while this cancer" It is affecting more and more young people without us really understanding why." he continued.
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Pancreatic cancer on the rise
This accelerated approach is beginning to bear fruit in the face of a cancer that remains particularly deadly, often diagnosed late and highly resistant to treatment. Various figures in the United States and France estimate that after five years, approximately one in ten people is still alive.
Given the increase in cases and the highly aggressive nature of pancreatic cancer, several studies estimate that it should become, in the coming years, the second deadliest cancer in developed countries, after lung cancer.
However, several recent announcements suggest better prospects. These are the result of research at various stages of development, employing multiple therapeutic approaches.
The most striking news, welcomed by many cancer specialists, was published in mid-April by the American pharmaceutical start-up Revolution Medicines. They reported significantly positive results for a molecule called daraxonrasib.
This treatment targets a protein present in several cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer, which promotes uncontrolled cell division. It has been tested on patients whose cancer had already metastasized, in comparison to conventional chemotherapy, which has a much less targeted mechanism of action.
Half of the patients treated with daraxonrasib – an oral medication – survived for more than 13 months, twice as long as the group receiving chemotherapy. This progress may seem minor, but for this disease and at this stage, it is unprecedented.
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Six months, "This is not insignificant."
In the United States, one man has testified to this: former Republican Senator Ben Sasse, who announced his cancer diagnosis in late 2025, has since undergone this treatment and detailed its effects during a press conference.a long interview at New York Times.
“ By mid-December, I had three or four months ahead of me." , the fifty-year-old reminded everyone. From now on, " It's going much better" he rejoiced, without however deluding himself about the possibility of a cure, and without hiding violent side effects as evidenced by his bloodied face.
Behind this highly anticipated breakthrough, other research avenues also offer hope for better treatments for pancreatic cancer within a few years. This is the case with a study supervised by Mr. Mehlen, involving researchers from the CNRS, and published Wednesday in the magazine Nature.
The French researcher's team did not evaluate a treatment designed to directly eliminate tumors. They tested a molecule that aims to prevent these cancer cells from initiating a process that makes them resistant to drugs such as chemotherapy.
This molecule was tested on approximately forty patients with pancreatic cancer that had already spread throughout the organ but had not yet metastasized, and who were undergoing chemotherapy. Their survival appears to be prolonged by several months compared to what is usually observed.
“ People are given an average of six more months, which in this illness is significant." , assures Mr. Mehlen.
However, this study remains preliminary: it was conducted on a small number of patients and, most importantly, without directly comparing them to a group not receiving the drug being studied. The researchers plan to launch a study meeting these criteria by the end of 2026.
Ultimately, Mr. Mehlen hopes, his molecule will not only be able to complement chemotherapy but also Revolution Medicines' innovative treatment. The next step", according to him, will be " combine (daraxonrasib) with our molecule, in order to further extend patient survival“.
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