New research conducted by the National Cancer Institute shows that people consuming high-fat diet are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, especially if their dietary fat comes from animal foods, such as meat and dairy products. The new study included more than half a million U.S. adults and none of them had pancreatic cancer at the time of the start of the study. Participants were followed for six years, on average, during which 865 of the men and 472 of the women were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

A team led by Stanford University researchers has developed a prototype blood scanner that can find cancer markers in the bloodstream in early stages of the disease, potentially allowing for earlier treatment and dramatically improved chances of survival. The system based on MagArray biodetection chips can find cancer-associated proteins in a blood serum sample in less than an hour. This could be especially helpful for lung cancer, ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer, because those cancers are hidden in the body

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s RTA 402 for treating patients suffering from pancreatic cancer. Currently in Phase 1/2 of its trial, RTA 402 receives economic incentive for further development in the form of reduction/exemption in regulatory fees, seven years of exclusivity in market and other support from FDA for R&D initiatives.

Researchers at University of Rochester Medical Center have found that an antioxidant that occurs naturally in wine may reach and destroy mitochondria, thereby destroying the pancreatic cancer cells. The researchers further say that the link between the mitochondria and antioxidant is significant, since mitochondria has its own DNA and is the core power supplier for the cells.