Study of Gemcitabine and Abraxane to Treat Potentially Operable Pancreatic Cancer

The best outcome for a patient diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is surgery. However many patients have recurrence of the cancer after successful surgery. The investigators are evaluating chemotherapy before surgery, which is a new approach. In this study, Abraxane and gemcitabine will be tested as treatment for people with operable pancreatic cancer to see if surgery can be successfully performed and if treatment will reduce cancer cells in the tumor at surgery. Abraxane is approved by the US FDA for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer after failure of combination chemotherapy for metastatic disease or relapse within 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy. Gemcitabine is approved by the FDA for first line treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer of the pancreas.