Pancreatic cancer treatment based on BRCA mutations status – pro
The concept of individualized therapy is being tested ina clinical trial. One such trial in patients with pancreatic cancer is being run by researchers at Johns Hopkins University:
Olaparib in gBRCA Mutated Pancreatic Cancer Whose Disease Has Not Progressed on First Line Platinum-Based Chemotherapy (POLO)
NCT02184195.
There are other clinical trials of the strategy to target BRCA in pancreatic cancer.
A recent report showed that Olaparib produced a tumour response rate of 26.2% in several advanced cancer types associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. The response rate provides new hope for patients with ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers whose disease has not responded to standard therapies. The trial enrolls patients with previously untreated, advanced or recurrent pancreatic cancer and a mutation in the BRCA2 gene. The BRCA2 gene confers greatly increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer in addition to a substantial increase in pancreatic cancer risk. At this time,pending more published date, the strategy of diagnosing BRCA in order to provide individualized therapy remains investigational.
NCCN.ORG. Pancreatic Cancer 2017
Kaufman B, Shapira-Frommer R, Schmutzler RK, et al. Olaparib Monotherapy in Patients With Advanced Cancer and a Germline BRCA1/2 Mutation. JCO 2014; Published online before print November 3. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2014.56.2728
Julia B Greer, David C Whitcomb et al, Role of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in pancreatic cancer Gut 2007;56:601-605