Novel approaches to therapeutics in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: vitamin C and tumor treatment fields

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease with limited therapeutic options. Despite extensive clinical research over the past several decades, meaningful improvements in care standards have been challenging to achieve. Research efforts are underway on several fronts, including cytotoxic chemotherapy combinations, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. In this review, we chose to focus less on mainstream avenues of clinical research in PDAC and highlight some novel and innovative research efforts that are typically outside the spotlight of therapies. Examples of these novel approaches include pharmacologic vitamin C and electromagnetic fields. This review's scope is to present the biological basis of the anti-cancer potential and the early clinical data, as well as the future landscape of these agents, including ongoing clinical trials in these therapeutic avenues.