There is new hope for patients with pancreatic cancer — the FDA has approved a chemotherapy treatment for patients who have not received prior treatment for the disease.
According to a press release from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the drug, named NALIRIFOX, combines three previously approved pancreatic cancer medications: liposomal irinotecan, fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin.
Pancreatic cancer ranks as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute. It is rarely curable and has an overall survival rate of less than 6%. Because there are so few symptoms in its early stages and there is no screening or test, the cancer is usually not detected until in more advanced stages, making it one of the most deadly cancers.
