In many cases, pancreatic cancer is diagnosed late and is then no longer curable. Around 1500 people in Switzerland are diagnosed with this aggressive type of cancer every year. Pathologist Daniela Lenggenhager is researching new possibilities for early detection and treatment at the USZ.
“I always wanted to know what happens in the body, in the tissue, in the cells during a disease. That’s why it was clear to me early on in my studies that I wanted to become a pathologist and do research.” Today, Daniela Lenggenhager is a senior physician at the Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, where she heads the cytology department. “In this department, we pathologists also have direct patient contact – contrary to what many people think – for example when we perform fine needle aspirations to obtain tissue material from patients for diagnostics.” She also recently completed her habilitation at the University of Zurich and was appointed a private lecturer. And her curiosity continues – one of her main areas of research is pancreatic cancer.
This aggressive type of cancer is usually detected late
In Switzerland, around 1500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer – or pancreatic carcinoma, as it is medically known – every year. The disease initially causes hardly any symptoms and is therefore often only recognized at an advanced stage when a cure is no longer possible. In contrast to other cancers, for which there have been some spectacular developments in early detection and treatment in recent decades, the options for pancreatic cancer are still very limited. “The pancreas is hidden in the middle of the body,” explains Daniela Lenggenhager. “In addition to the long period without symptoms, this contributes to the disease being discovered late.” Simple examination procedures such as ultrasound usually do not provide any meaningful images. For example, you would have to undergo regular computer tomography for a preventive examination, which is not justifiable without a specific reason. There is also currently no test that can detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage. Unfortunately, in many cases the conventional treatment options of surgery and chemotherapy can only delay the progression of the disease, but not cure it. Daniela Lenggenhager wants to change that. “The aim of my work is to gain a better understanding of this aggressive type of cancer in order to help develop strategies that lead to more reliable early detection and new treatment options.”
Research goal: A tumor marker for early detection
Daniela Lenggenhager is therefore looking for a specific marker for pancreatic carcinoma, i.e. a substance produced by pancreatic cancer cells that can ideally be used to reliably diagnose the disease at an early stage using a blood test. She would also like to obtain prognostic and predictive markers from tumor samples that can be used to predict how patients’ disease will progress and how they will respond to a particular therapy. This would allow therapy to be tailored more specifically and individually to the patient.
During a research year in Norway with a renowned research group at the University of Oslo, Daniela Lenggenhager was able to advance her research. “The center in Oslo is one of the largest pancreatic cancer research centers in Europe, so many cases are recorded there that I was able to use for experiments. I was also able to make many valuable contacts with colleagues worldwide.” Back at the USZ, Daniela Lenggenhager was able to establish various research collaborations on pancreatic cancer, but also on her second focus in liver pathology. “The USZ is the ideal place for me to work. I value and need the close and enriching connection between research, teaching and clinical work, the exchange and collaboration with colleagues from my own and other specialist areas, teaching students and especially the contact with patients. After all, my research is intended to help them.”
