Gastrointestinal Cancer
Leadership
Program Overview
Translational research transforms the findings of basic (laboratory) research more quickly and efficiently into medical practice. The Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Program undertakes translational research to improve the outcome of patients with GI cancers.
These cancers, including colorectal, pancreatic, and
hepatocellular carcinoma, are extremely challenging to treat
and the mortality rates (death rate) for these cancers are
quite high, especially when the cancer is diagnosed late and
has metastasized (spread from one part of the body to
another).
Widespread screening to detect colorectal cancer early has
improved survival as has more effective medical
treatments for patients. Diagnosis at an advanced stage carries
a very poor prognosis -- most patients with colorectal cancer
that has spread to other sites in the body (metastatic) will
die from the cancer, most within two years.
Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest of
cancers, because early detection is quite rare and few
effective treatments exist. A recently approved drug
(erlotinib) increased average survival in pancreatic cancer
patients by just 10 days.
Liver cancer is occurring in more people and
is the only cancer whose death rate is increasing for both men
and women in the United States. The risk factors for it
are fairly well known: hepatitis B virus infection can lead
directly to it, while hepatitis C infection causes cirrhosis
first which can then lead to cancer. However, which
hepatitis-infected patients are at greatest risk is unknown,
thus screening guidelines to detect this type of cancer early
are not as useful as they might be.
Patients with GI cancers will benefit from refined approaches
of risk assessment, advances to improve responses to existing
treatments, and development of more effective treatments. GI
cancers, particularly colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and
liver cancer, are significant health hazards which deserve
strong translational research with significant potential to
improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment -- work enabled by
Duke investigators.
The Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Program goals are to
advance translational research to bring about new treatments,
better methods to prevent or lessen treatment side effects, to
improve treatment effectiveness, and to better match screening,
disease monitoring, and/or treatment choices to individual
genetic or biological markers for our patients.
We seek to:
- Translate Duke’s basic science (laboratory) discoveries into medical treatments for patients and to explore the mechanisms behind clinically observed phenomena in GI cancer(s)
- Build on Duke’s biomarker (substances found in the blood or tissues) and immunotherapy (treatment to stimulate or restore the immune system) discoveries to guide and improve patient treatments in GI cancer(s)
- Provide the framework to nurture translational research across a range of basic science and clinical needs in areas such as diagnosis, prevention, and quality of life by engaging young faculty members through funding and mentoring.
