PTK787 in Patients With Advanced Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2010-02-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The purpose of this research study is to find out if an experimental drug called
PTK787/ZK222584 might be effective against advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer.
In order for tumors to grow and spread to other parts of the body, they need to have a
growing blood supply. Tumor cells have been shown to produce substances that stimulate the
abnormal growth of new blood vessels that allow the tumor to grow. In adults, blood vessel
cells normally divide very rapidly. It is thought that PTK787/ZK222584 may interfere with the
growth of new blood vessels. A drug that interferes with the growth of new blood vessels
might stop tumor growth, and possibly shrink the tumor by keeping it from receiving nutrients
and oxygen supplied by the blood vessels. Since normal blood vessel cells divide very rarely,
it might be possible to stop tumor growth without harming normal tissues.