With an average survival rate of less than 10 percent within five years of diagnosis, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most deadly and aggressive. But in the Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention at the University of Texas, Dr. Florencia McAllister’s research may lead to insights which could forever change this grim prognosis and pave the way for an effective pancreatic cancer treatment. Her work centers around developing a better understanding of how the microbiome of pancreatic tumors interacts with the rest of the body—and the immune system in particular. What is it that allows a pancreatic tumor to remain unseen by the immune system, and what might the bacteria in pancreatic tumors have to do with it? Does the presence of certain species of bacteria in pancreatic tumors indicate a better prognosis than others? In this episode, Dr. McAllister explains the details of how this research is being done, what they’ve discovered, where the future of her work is headed, and so much more. Tune in to discover:

• How tumor microbiomes differ between long and short-term survivors of pancreatic cancer
• How the microbiome of pancreatic tumors differs from the microbiome of the rest of the pancreas
• What conditions create a high risk of pancreatic cancer development

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