Targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer

Newer drugs that target certain parts of cancer cells are now being studied. These drugs work in a different way from regular chemotherapy (chemo) drugs and they often have fewer side effects. A drug called erlotinib (Tarceva^®) has helped some patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. It is taken as a pill. When combined with the chemo drug gemcitabine (Gemzar^®) it has been shown to be slightly better than gemcitabine alone. Common side effects of this drug can include an acne-like rash, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and feeling tired.