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Dutch Researcher Develops Promising Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine
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A novel vaccine targeting pancreatic cancer is under development by Casper van Eijck Jr., a researcher at the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) in the Netherlands. The vaccine aims to stimulate the immune system to recognise and attack pancreatic cancer cells, offering a potential new avenue for treatment against this aggressive disease.
Pancreatic cancer has a notably poor prognosis, with a five-year survival rate of just 10% in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. The disease is frequently enough diagnosed at a late stage, making treatment challenging. The Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer centre (NKI) reports similar statistics for the Dutch population.
Family Legacy in Pancreatic Cancer Research
Van Eijck Jr.’s work builds upon a long family tradition of fighting pancreatic cancer. His uncle, Casper van eijck Sr., a surgeon and professor at UMC Utrecht, has dedicated decades to researching and treating the disease. Van Eijck Sr. frequently faced the challenging task of delivering grim prognoses to patients.
“You never get used to it. You do it more often, but it remains incredibly difficult,” Van Eijck Sr. stated,reflecting on the emotional toll of informing patients about their diagnoses. He has performed numerous complex surgeries, often lasting up to 10 hours, with frequent post-operative complications due to the intricate nature of the pancreas.
Driven by a desire for Betterment
The senior Van Eijck expressed immense pride in his nephew’s research, emphasizing the collaborative effort involved. “He’s coordinating things, but there’s also a fantastic large team working on this here,” he said
