Innovative Trial for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

NEW YORK—An innovative clinical trial to be conducted at Columbia University is now recruiting patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The patients will test the effectiveness of the “Gonzalez regimen,” which combines a strict diet of fresh fruits, vegetable juices, dietary supplements, and pancreatic enzyme extracts with a “detoxification” program. John Chabot, MD, a surgical oncologist at Columbia, is the principal investigator.

The researchers are seeking 72 to 90 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer for the phase III randomized study, which is being sponsored by the NCI’s Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Half of the patients will receive standard therapy with gemcitabine (Gemzar), while the other half will be assigned to the Gonzalez regimen, developed by Nicholas Gonzalez, MD, a New York endocrinologist.

For information about patient entry to the trial, contact Michelle Gabay, RN, at Columbia Presbyterian Cancer Center (221-305-9468).