A new study published in Microbial Biotechnology sheds light on the microbes living inside the mucin of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). For years, researchers have suspected that bacteria may play a role in PMP. This study goes further – and identifies fungi in PMP mucin for the first time. What the researchers found Living bacteria were recovered from most of the...

Could existing medications help expand surgical options for patients with appendix cancer? A newly launched clinical trial at the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Center in Pittsburgh is exploring an innovative approach to a challenge faced by some patients with appendix cancer and other peritoneal malignancies: dense scar tissue (fibrosis) that can make surgery more difficult or, in some cases,...

The grant funds research by Dr. Mohammad Haroon Choudry of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center on crossing the mucinous barrier that keeps therapies from reaching tumors Research is how we change the future of appendix cancer. Dr. Choudry's work goes directly at one of the hardest problems in treating PMP, and we are proud to support it in Katie's memory”— Jim...

A new investigational treatment is being studied for appendiceal and colorectal cancers that have spread within the abdomen. A Phase 1 clinical trial at Brown University Health is testing ACM-CpG, an experimental immunotherapy being developed by Arcamyra Therapeutics. How ACM-CpG works ACM-CpG is designed to be delivered directly into the abdominal cavity, where it may help stimulate the immune system...

On August 26, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved daraxonrasib (brand name Rasonque), a new targeted therapy that blocks multiple forms of the RAS protein, for adults with metastatic pancreatic cancer. About the approval Daraxonrasib is a once-daily pill developed by Revolution Medicines. It is approved for adults with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who have already received at...

Researchers are testing zoldonrasib, a new targeted drug designed to block the KRAS G12D mutation – a genetic change that helps drive the growth of many pancreatic cancers. Early results, presented at the 2026 ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress, are encouraging. What the study found In an early-stage study of 81 people with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer carrying the KRAS...

A new study published in Scientific Reports takes a close look at cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in PMP (pseudomyxoma peritonei). CAFs are not cancer cells themselves – they live in the tissue surrounding the cancer. This research suggests they may play an active role in how PMP behaves. What the researchers found Using detailed analyses of individual cells, proteins, and tissue...

ACPMP's Clinical Trials Database is regularly updated with new research studies and trial opportunities for the appendix cancer and PMP community. One of our recent additions is a new metformin trial for PMP, led by Dr. Oliver Eng at the University of California, Irvine. About the trial The study is evaluating metformin – a medication commonly used to treat diabetes...

New research led by Dr. John Paul Shen of MD Anderson Cancer Center, published in JAMA Network Open, offers important insight into how commonly measured blood tumor markers may help predict outcomes for patients with appendix cancer (appendiceal adenocarcinoma). ACPMP is proud to be one of the funders supporting this research. What the researchers studied The study looked at three...

BY Cynthia DeMarco | Published April 03, 2026 on mdanderson.org Medically Reviewed | Last reviewed by Beth Helmink, M.D., Ph.D., and John Paul Shen, M.D., on April 03, 2026 Until about 15 years ago, appendix cancer was often lumped together with colon cancer. That’s because the appendix is technically part of the colon. Today, though, doctors recognize appendix cancer as its own separate disease, with distinct genetic drivers at the molecular level that differ from those of colorectal cancers....