Research is being conducted to discover new ways of early detection, prevention, causes and treatments of pancreatic cancer. The objective of this research is to prevent cancer or increase survival rates. Some of the research studies being conducted for pancreatic cancer involve:

• New hormone therapy methods, used to prevent cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
  
  
• Numerous studies of different targeted therapies are under way, including farnesyl transferase inhibitors and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors, that block key enzymes. Biological therapy drugs now approved for other cancers have been tested for pancreatic cancer but thus far are producing disappointing results. Combinations of new therapies like bevacizumab with chemotherapy drugs have shown some improvement in survival times.
  
  
• Other research is concentrating on newer chemotherapy drugs or drug combinations, improved surgical techniques and development of tests for earlier detection of pancreatic cancer.