Pancreatic cancer biomarkers: A pathway to advance in personalized treatment selection

Cancer Treat Rev. 2024 Apr:125:102719. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2024.102719. Epub 2024 Mar 12.

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is one of the tumors with the worst prognosis, and unlike other cancers, few advances have been made in recent years. The only curative option is surgery, but only 15-20% of patients are candidates, with a high risk of relapse. In advanced pancreatic cancer there are few first-line treatment options and no validated biomarkers for better treatment selection. The development of targeted therapies in pancreatic cancer is increasingly feasible due to tumor-agnostic treatments, such as PARP inhibitors in patients with BRCA1, BRCA2 or PALB2 alterations or immunotherapies in patients with high microsatellite instability/tumor mutational burden. In addition, other therapeutic molecules have been developed for patients with KRAS G12C mutation or fusions in NTRK or NRG1. Consequently, there has been a growing interest in biomarkers that may help guide targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer. Therefore, this review aims to offer an updated perspective on biomarkers with therapeutic potential in pancreatic cancer.

Keywords: Agnostic therapy; MSI-H; Pancreatic adenocarcinoma; Potential therapeutic biomarkers; TMB.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor* / genetics
  • Humans
  • Microsatellite Instability
  • Mutation
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Precision Medicine

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor