The project
Pancreatic cancer is particularly dangerous because it often spreads (metastasises) to other parts of the body at an early stage. In many cases, it is this spread — rather than the original tumour — that makes the disease so difficult to treat. This project focuses on developing a new type of treatment approach called a “migrastatic.” Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which aims to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells, migrastatics are designed to slow down or prevent cancer cells from moving and forming new tumours elsewhere in the body. The idea is not to replace chemotherapy, but to work alongside it — reducing the cancer’s ability to spread
What are they going to do?
As part of this project, Dr Nathaniel G Yilmaz would like to speak with people affected by pancreatic cancer — including patients and caregivers — to better understand their experiences, particularly where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. He is interested in learning how metastatic disease affected daily life, treatment decisions, and overall wellbeing. In particular, he would value insights from individuals who were otherwise relatively fit and able to undergo more intensive treatment, as this may help him better understand how future treatments designed to slow cancer spread could realistically fit alongside existing chemotherapy.
Why is this research important?
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers, in large part because it spreads quickly to other parts of the body. This project aims to develop a first-in-class treatment called a “migrastatic” that could potentially slow or prevent cancer cells from spreading. In combination with standard treatments such as chemotherapy, this approach may help make pancreatic cancer more manageable — and, in the long term, could improve the chances of successful treatment or even cure in some patients. Equally important, this project will explore whether such an add-on treatment would be tolerable for patients and acceptable.
How to get involved
This project is aimed at people affected by pancreatic cancer, including:
Patients who have experienced pancreatic cancer, particularly those whose disease has spread, and who are willing to share their experiences of treatment, daily life, and wellbeing.
Caregivers and family members who have supported someone with pancreatic cancer and can provide insight into the impact of the disease and treatment on day-to-day life.
We are especially interested in hearing from people who were relatively fit during their treatment and able to undergo more intensive therapies, as their experiences may help us understand how a future treatment designed to slow cancer spread could be realistically used alongside existing treatments.
Participation can take the form of small discussion sessions or providing written feedback, depending on what is most convenient. Everyone’s input is valuable, and the goal is to ensure the research reflects the needs and perspectives of the pancreatic cancer community.
No scientific background or prior experience is needed to take part in this opportunity.
Next steps
If you would like to join the focus group, please contact Nathaniel (nathan.gokhan.yilmaz.14@ucl.ac.uk) quoting the involvement reference ‘ANCHOR RIN involvement’.
