Efficacy of Curcumin in the Treatment of Advanced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Compared to Sole Gemcitabine Chemotherapy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Due to the difficulty of diagnosing this malignancy until it has progressed to an advanced stage, treatment is often difficult, expensive and ineffective. The first line treatment for PDAC is Gemcitabine chemotherapy. However, due to its extensive side effect profile and the early chemo-resistance the PDAC cells develop against Gemcitabine, the need for alternative therapeutic methods to manage treatment is necessary. Therefore, this review analyzes if in individuals with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [P], does the addition of curcumin with the standard Gemcitabine chemotherapy [I] provide reduction in disease progression without causing additional adverse reactions [O] when compared to sole Gemcitabine chemotherapy [C]