Therapeutic advances open new stage in fight against pancreatic cancer

Early diagnosis, personalized therapies and new targeted drugs mark a paradigm shift for one of the cancers with the worst prognosis.

Torrevieja, November 21, 2025. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to diagnose and treat, but achievements in recent years are opening up a more optimistic outlook for patients. As Dr. Enrique de Madaria, a gastrointestinal specialist at Hospital Quirónsalud Torrevieja and Quirónsalud Alicante, explains, a combination of new imaging techniques, emerging biomarkers and targeted therapies “is beginning to change a disease that for a long time seemed unmovable.”

Pancreatic cancer develops when cells in the pancreas begin to grow uncontrollably, most often in the part responsible for producing digestive enzymes. The most common type is pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

One of the biggest challenges remains early diagnosis of the disease. Due to the location of the pancreas deep in the abdominal cavity, early tumors rarely produce clear symptoms. “When signals such as abdominal pain, weight loss and jaundice appear, the disease is sometimes already at an advanced stage,” Dr. De Madaria emphasizes. Today, nearly 80% of cases are detected only when surgery is no longer possible, although it is the only treatment that can lead to a cure.

New tools for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

While there is no effective screening program for the entire population, technological advances are making it possible to detect smaller and smaller suspicious lesions thanks to tools such as high-resolution MRI scans, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and advanced image analysis based on artificial intelligence. “This is where we're seeing a qualitative leap - technology is clarifying our ability to identify tumors at an early stage, and in some cases allowing us to get ahead of symptoms,” the specialist explains.

In parallel, research is being conducted on new biomarkers that could revolutionize early detection of disease, such as fragments of circulating tumor DNA, specific metabolites and even signals detectable in saliva and feces. This is a direction that is still experimental, but extremely promising.

Treatment requiring a multidisciplinary team

Management of pancreatic cancer requires close collaboration between gastroenterologists, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and nutritionists. Each case is discussed at multidisciplinary consiliums to select the best therapeutic plan.

Surgery remains the only potentially radical treatment option, but only a small percentage of patients qualify for it at the time of diagnosis. In some initially inoperable cases, new chemotherapy regimens can shrink the tumor and allow for subsequent surgical intervention.

Advances in the treatment of pancreatic cancer

In recent years, systemic treatment of pancreatic cancer has advanced significantly, resulting in marked improvements in survival rates.

The most important breakthrough, however, is related to personalized medicine. Some tumors exhibit mutations that make targeted therapies possible.

“We are facing a paradigm shift,” says Dr. De Madaria. “For decades KRAS, the main mutation in pancreatic cancer, seemed an unattainable target, but now drugs capable of acting on specific mutations, such as KRAS G12C or G12D, are starting to appear. The first clinical trials are promising.”

What's more, therapies acting on different KRAS variants are already being developed, which could benefit a much larger group of patients. Studies also include combining these drugs with immunotherapy and other targeted therapies, and preliminary results are becoming more convincing.

While pancreatic cancer continues to be a formidable challenge, the pace of progress today is faster than ever. “For the first time, we are seeing that research is not only expanding knowledge, but providing real tools that can change prognosis,” concludes Dr. Enrique de Madaria. “Collaboration between centers and participation in clinical trials are key to opening up new possibilities for our patients.”