Innovative treatments for pancreatic cancer

There are few treatment options for patients with advanced pancreatic carci noma, and new approaches are needed. Advances in the understanding of basic tumor biology, immunology, and genetics are paving the way for new therape utic strategies. This article reviews the basic rationale for the developme nt of new agents in immunotherapy, gene therapy, and the inhibition of angi ogenesis. In addition, the current status of clinical trials using these ap proaches in pancreatic cancer is discussed. The rapid translation of basic science discoveries into well-conducted clinical trails should lead to nove l strategies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.