Aspettativa di vita dopo diagnosi di cancro al pancreas
Le statistiche complessive sull'aspettativa di vita per il cancro al pancreas sono piuttosto sfavorevoli: circa l’87% dei pazienti muore entro cinque anni.1 La probabilità di sopravvivere più di dieci anni dopo la diagnosi è solo del 2% circa, rendendo la sopravvivenza al cancro al pancreas una delle più basse.2
Tuttavia, studiando i pazienti che rientravano in quel 2% che ha sconfitto il cancro al pancreas, gli scienziati hanno individuato associazioni promettenti.3
Il sistema immunitario fa la differenza
Sospettando un collegamento con l’immunità, gli scienziati hanno esaminato il numero di cellule immunitarie presenti nel tumore e hanno scoperto che maggiore era il loro numero, più lungo era il tempo di sopravvivenza del paziente.4 I tumori del pancreas di persone con breve aspettativa di vita sono stati confrontati con quelli di persone che hanno superato i cinque anni. I tumori di quest'ultimo gruppo contenevano quasi 12 volte più linfociti T, cellule immunitarie necessarie per riconoscere e distinguere gli invasori, come infezioni e cancro, dalle cellule normali dell'organismo.
Questi risultati indicano che la forza del sistema immunitario è un fattore decisivo nella lotta contro il cancro al pancreas. Maggiore è l'attività delle cellule T e delle cellule NK, maggiori sono le possibilità di sopravvivenza.
I polisaccaridi dei funghi e le prove scientifiche
I polisaccaridi dei funghi sono tra i mezzi naturali più studiati per attivare queste cellule immunitarie. È importante, però, comprendere che le semplici polveri di funghi o gli estratti alcolici sono troppo deboli a tal fine. I polisaccaridi si dissolvono solo in acqua, quindi risulta efficace solo un estratto acquoso. Uno studio clinico condotto in Giappone su pazienti con cancro al pancreas in stadio avanzato ha dimostrato che l’assunzione orale di un estratto di polisaccaridi dei funghi ha determinato una sopravvivenza statisticamente più lunga rispetto alle stime abituali, oltre a un miglioramento della qualità della vita. È consigliabile un uso costante e ininterrotto per ottenere i migliori risultati.
I tumori dei sopravvissuti a lungo termine contenevano 12 volte più cellule T. Uno studio giapponese ha rilevato che i polisaccaridi di funghi somministrati oralmente in soluzione acquosa hanno garantito una sopravvivenza più lunga del previsto.
Lentinan AXT di Zenius Labs™ →Domande frequenti
Circa l’87% dei pazienti muore entro cinque anni e solo il 2% circa sopravvive per più di dieci anni, rendendo la sopravvivenza al cancro al pancreas una delle più basse. Tuttavia, una piccola percentuale riesce a superare queste statistiche.
La ricerca ha dimostrato che la forza del sistema immunitario è determinante. I tumori dei sopravvissuti a lungo termine (5+ anni) contenevano quasi 12 volte più cellule T rispetto a quelli dei sopravvissuti a breve termine. Una maggiore quantità di cellule T attive e di cellule NK comporta maggiori possibilità di superare le statistiche.
I polisaccaridi dei funghi sono tra i mezzi naturali più studiati per attivare queste cellule immunitarie. Uno studio clinico giapponese sul cancro al pancreas in stadio avanzato ha rilevato che un estratto orale acquoso di polisaccaridi dei funghi ha garantito una sopravvivenza statisticamente più lunga rispetto alle previsioni, oltre a una migliore qualità della vita. Le semplici polveri e gli estratti alcolici sono troppo deboli.
I polisaccaridi si dissolvono solo in acqua, quindi solo un estratto acquoso permette di assumerli efficacemente. Gli estratti alcolici e le semplici polveri di funghi sono troppo deboli per attivare le cellule immunitarie interessate. Una formula concentrata come Lentinan AXT di Zenius Labs™ utilizza un'estrazione acquosa.
- Identification of unique neoantigen qualities in long-term survivors of pancreatic cancer. Nature
- Why do some people beat the odds against pancreatic cancer? Memorial Sloan Kettering
- Efficacy of oral administered superfine dispersed lentinan for advanced pancreatic cancer. PubMed
- Capula M et al. Role of drug catabolism, modulation of oncogenic signaling and tumor microenvironment in microbe-mediated pancreatic cancer chemoresistance. Drug resistance updates : reviews and commentaries in antimicrobial and anticancer chemotherapy. 2022. PubMed
- Kim G nab-Paclitaxel for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Cancer management and research. 2017. PubMed
- Zhang Y et al. Immune Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer: Now and the Future?. Reviews on recent clinical trials. 2015. PubMed
- Das S et al. Harnessing the Immune System in Pancreatic Cancer. Current treatment options in oncology. 2018. PubMed
- Carpenter ES et al. Targeting the Microenvironment to Overcome Gemcitabine Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer research. 2020. PubMed
- Tang M et al. Can intracellular drug delivery using hyaluronic acid functionalised pH-sensitive liposomes overcome gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer?. Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society. 2019. PubMed
- Zheng R et al. Saikosaponin D overcomes gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer via AKT/mTOR pathway inhibition and synergistic induction of apoptosis and autophagy. Oncology reports. 2026. PubMed
- Jiang S et al. Macrophage-organoid co-culture model for identifying treatment strategies against macrophage-related gemcitabine resistance. Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR. 2023. PubMed
- Goetze TO et al. Adjuvant Gemcitabine Versus Neoadjuvant/Adjuvant FOLFIRINOX in Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: The Randomized Multicenter Phase II NEPAFOX Trial. Annals of surgical oncology. 2024. PubMed
- Byrne JD et al. Impact of formulation on the iontophoretic delivery of the FOLFIRINOX regimen for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology. 2018. PubMed
- Nywening TM et al. Targeting tumour-associated macrophages with CCR2 inhibition in combination with FOLFIRINOX in patients with borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer: a single-centre, open-label, dose-finding, non-randomised, phase 1b trial. The Lancet. Oncology. 2016. PubMed
- Tran NH et al. Phase 2 Trial of Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Concurrent With Fixed-Dose Rate-Gemcitabine in Patients With Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer. International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics. 2020. PubMed
- Lee JH et al. Lithium Chloride Protects against Sepsis-Induced Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Cancer Cachexia. Cells. 2021. PubMed
- Zhang Y et al. Sophocarpine and matrine inhibit the production of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in murine macrophages and prevent cachexia-related symptoms induced by colon26 adenocarcinoma in mice. International immunopharmacology. 2008. PubMed
- Yu X et al. Astaxanthin Ameliorates Skeletal Muscle Atrophy in Mice With Cancer Cachexia. Nutrition and cancer. 2024. PubMed
- Bossi P et al. The Spectrum of Malnutrition/Cachexia/Sarcopenia in Oncology According to Different Cancer Types and Settings: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2021. PubMed
- Luo L et al. Reprogramming the pancreatic cancer stroma and immune landscape by a silicasome nanocarrier delivering nintedanib, a protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Nano today. 2024. PubMed
- Mortezaee K Enriched cancer stem cells, dense stroma, and cold immunity: Interrelated events in pancreatic cancer. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology. 2021. PubMed
- Liu X et al. Stromal reprogramming overcomes resistance to RAS-MAPK inhibition to improve pancreas cancer responses to cytotoxic and immune therapy. Science translational medicine. 2024. PubMed
- Datta J et al. Combined MEK and STAT3 Inhibition Uncovers Stromal Plasticity by Enriching for Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts With Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Like Features to Overcome Immunotherapy Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer. Gastroenterology. 2022. PubMed
- Lin HJ et al. Polarization of Cancer-Associated Macrophages Maneuver Neoplastic Attributes of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers. 2023. PubMed
- Chandrakesan P et al. DCLK1-Isoform2 Alternative Splice Variant Promotes Pancreatic Tumor Immunosuppressive M2-Macrophage Polarization. Molecular cancer therapeutics. 2020. PubMed
- Liu Y et al. CTCF enhances pancreatic cancer progression via FLG-AS1-dependent epigenetic regulation and macrophage polarization. Cell death and differentiation. 2025. PubMed
- Zhou J et al. A novel role of TGFBI in macrophage polarization and macrophage-induced pancreatic cancer growth and therapeutic resistance. Cancer letters. 2023. PubMed
- Deng Y et al. Glucocorticoid receptor regulates PD-L1 and MHC-I in pancreatic cancer cells to promote immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance. Nature communications. 2021. PubMed
- Zhou W et al. Pancreatic cancer-targeting exosomes for enhancing immunotherapy and reprogramming tumor microenvironment. Biomaterials. 2021. PubMed
- Mukherji R et al. The Role of Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer. Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.). 2022. PubMed
- Feng M et al. PD-1/PD-L1 and immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Cancer letters. 2017. PubMed
- Jolly G et al. Cholecystokinin Receptor Antagonist Induces Pancreatic Stellate Cell Plasticity Rendering the Tumor Microenvironment Less Oncogenic. Cancers. 2023. PubMed
- Bangolo AI et al. Impact of gut microbiome in the development and treatment of pancreatic cancer: Newer insights. World journal of gastroenterology. 2023. PubMed
- Halle-Smith JM et al. Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency and the Gut Microbiome in Pancreatic Cancer: A Target for Future Diagnostic Tests and Therapies?. Cancers. 2023. PubMed
- Li P et al. Current status and prospect of gut and oral microbiome in pancreatic cancer: Clinical and translational perspectives. Cancer letters. 2024. PubMed
- Park JS et al. Astaxanthin decreased oxidative stress and inflammation and enhanced immune response in humans. Nutrition & metabolism. 2010. PubMed
- Cheng J et al. The Promising Effects of Astaxanthin on Lung Diseases. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.). 2021. PubMed
- Lee J et al. Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Astaxanthin on Gastrointestinal Diseases. International journal of molecular sciences. 2022. PubMed
- Wang T et al. Astaxanthin protected against the adverse effects induced by diesel exhaust particulate matter via improving membrane stability and anti-oxidative property. Journal of hazardous materials. 2023. PubMed
- Lu H et al. TLR2 agonist PSK activates human NK cells and enhances the antitumor effect of HER2-targeted monoclonal antibody therapy. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. 2011. PubMed
- Ooshiro M et al. [Ten cases of advanced gastro-intestinal cancer that required preoperative dosage of PSK]. Gan to kagaku ryoho. Cancer & chemotherapy. 2009. PubMed
- Maehara Y et al. Postoperative PSK and OK-432 immunochemotherapy for patients with gastric cancer. Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology. 1993. PubMed
- Ito G et al. Correlation between efficacy of PSK postoperative adjuvant immunochemotherapy for gastric cancer and expression of MHC class I. Experimental and therapeutic medicine. 2012. PubMed
- Sun M et al. Lentinan reduces tumor progression by enhancing gemcitabine chemotherapy in urothelial bladder cancer. Surgical oncology. 2015. PubMed
- Zhang P et al. A carbon nanotube-gemcitabine-lentinan three-component composite for chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy of cancer. International journal of nanomedicine. 2018. PubMed
- Shimizu K et al. Efficacy of oral administered superfine dispersed lentinan for advanced pancreatic cancer. Hepato-gastroenterology. 2009. PubMed
- Wang Y et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of Injectable Lentinan combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of gastric cancer. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2024. PubMed
- Geller AE et al. The induction of peripheral trained immunity in the pancreas incites anti-tumor activity to control pancreatic cancer progression. Nature communications. 2022. PubMed
- Fang J et al. Structure of a β-glucan from Grifola frondosa and its antitumor effect by activating Dectin-1/Syk/NF-κB signaling. Glycoconjugate journal. 2012. PubMed
- Zhang M et al. β-Glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae induces SBD-1 production in ovine ruminal epithelial cells via the Dectin-1-Syk-NF-κB signaling pathway. Cellular signalling. 2019. PubMed
- Gringhuis SI et al. Dectin-1 directs T helper cell differentiation by controlling noncanonical NF-kappaB activation through Raf-1 and Syk. Nature immunology. 2009. PubMed
- Wang H et al. Efficacy of biological response modifier lentinan with chemotherapy for advanced cancer: a meta-analysis. Cancer medicine. 2017. PubMed
- Oba K et al. Efficacy of adjuvant immunochemotherapy with polysaccharide K for patients with curative resections of gastric cancer. Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII. 2007. PubMed
- Cheng SC et al. mTOR- and HIF-1α-mediated aerobic glycolysis as metabolic basis for trained immunity. Science (New York, N.Y.). 2014. PubMed
- Kidd P Astaxanthin, cell membrane nutrient with diverse clinical benefits and anti-aging potential. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic. 2011. PubMed