Wednesday, February 19, 2025 The Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) has been awarded $970,000 for the PAC5 clinical trial in the CIHR Fall 2024 Project Grant competition. This phase III trial will test lanreotide for the prevention of one of the most severe complications of pancreatic surgery, postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF).“The PAC5 clinical trial has the potential to change the standard of care for postoperative pancreatic fistula prophylaxis, significantly benefiting patients and reducing healthcare system costs,” says CCTG Senior Investigator, Chris O’Callaghan.More than half of all patients undergoing pancreatic surgery experience major postoperative complications, the most critical of which is POPF, leading to worsened quality of life and life-threatening conditions such as abscess and uncontrolled hemorrhage. Patients who experience POPF often require invasive drainage procedures, prolonged length of stay, and re-operation, all of which lead to a doubling of healthcare costs. “Postoperative pancreatic fistula is the Achilles’ heal of pancreatic surgery. It impairs patient recovery leading to poor quality of life, delays to chemotherapy, and worse long-term survival. Better treatments to prevent this complication are sorely needed,” says Dr Paul Karanicolas, surgical oncologist at Odette Cancer Centre and the PAC5 principal investigator.Drugs like lanreotide, which reduce the normal secretions of the pancreas, have shown promise in reducing POPF when given immediately prior to pancreatic surgery. The PAC5 trial will formally test whether lanreotide reduces the rate of POPF in patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy. The CIHR funding will permit CCTG to collaborate on the SWOG S2408 North American academic clinical trial. Dr Paul Karanicolas, PAC5 Principal Investigator Chris O'Callaghan CCTG Senior Investigator
