Exercise during preoperative therapy increases tumor vascularity in pancreatic tumor patients.

The efficacy of chemotherapy is reduced by dysfunctional tumor vasculature, which may limit chemotherapy delivery to tumors. Preclinical studies have shown that moderate aerobic exercise improves tumor vascular function and increases chemotherapy efficacy in mouse models, but the effect of exercise on human tumor vasculature has not yet been determined. Here, we demonstrate that exercise remodels the tumor vasculature, accelerates the regression, and delays the regrowth of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in a patient-derived xenograft mouse model treated with gemcitabine.

Impact of pancreatectomy on long-term patient-reported symptoms and quality of life in recurrence-free survivors of pancreatic and periampullary neoplasms.

Background: Long term patient-reported symptoms and quality of life (QOL) are important outcome metrics following cancer operations, but have been poorly described in patients who have previously undergone pancreatectomy.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of recurrence-free survivors of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, periampullary carcinomas, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors who had undergone prior pancreatectomy. QOL and symptom burden were measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary Questionnaire, and psychosocial distress was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Fear of cancer recurrence after curative pancreatectomy: a cross-sectional study in survivors of pancreatic and periampullary tumors.

Background: Fear of disease recurrence is well documented among cancer survivors, but its significance among patients treated for solid pancreatic and periampullary neoplasms is unknown despite the known risk of recurrence associated with these tumors. We hypothesized that fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) represents a common source of psychosocial distress in this population and sought to characterize subgroups for whom FCR might represent a target for intervention to improve quality of life.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of FCR in patients who were disease-free after potentially curative pancreatectomy for ductal or periampullary adenocarcinoma or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.

Influence of obesity on cancer-related outcomes after pancreatectomy to treat pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Objective: To examine the influence of obesity, as measured by body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), on clinicopathologic factors and survival after pancreatectomy to treat adenocarcinoma.

Design: Retrospective review and statistical analysis using prospectively collected data.

Setting: Referral center with a dedicated multidisciplinary pancreas cancer program.