Study Investigates Molecular Profiling for Patients With Pancreatic Cancer

Treatment decisions could be assisted through molecular profiling, which would allow patients and oncologists to evaluate the biological features of the tumor.

A study recently published in Clinical Cancer Research and conducted at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City investigated molecular profiling and the results that could potentially help clinicians make decisions on treatment for the patient.

“The paper reported molecular profiling results from 336 pancreatic cancer patients, and 26% were found to have ‘actionable’ alterations,” Lynn Matrisian, PhD, MBA, chief science officer for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, said in a statement. “This means that their profiles revealed molecular changes specific to their cancer cells that align with known treatment options.”

The results of the study suggest that molecular profiling can help determine which clinical trials, off-label treatment options, or standard of care therapies would be most effective for a patient. In addition, the findings from the study can contribute to the development of new clinical trials to further test the value of molecular profiling.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s Know Your Tumor service, a program for eligible pancreatic cancer patients to access molecular profiling that they may not have previously had access to, have also demonstrated the importance of molecular profiling. The results of the program support the need for further studies and clinical trials of molecular profiling in order to continue assisting in treatment decisions.

“The more we learn about the molecular details of each patient’s pancreatic cancer cells, the more we can use that information for patient benefit,” Matrisian said. “We applaud the Memorial Sloan Kettering team for undertaking this important study and disseminating the results. Knowledge is most certainly power as we work toward improving pancreatic cancer patient outcomes.”