Allyson Ocean, MD

Allyson Ocean, MD, a medical oncologist and attending physician in gastrointestinal oncology at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, commented on the Know Your Tumor study. “This study by Pishvaian et al highlights the importance of genomics in guiding treatment decisions in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer,” she said.

“Based on a large study of 822 patients from the Know Your Tumor program, the investigators showed that treatment with a platinum agent was associated with a significant survival benefit in patients with advanced disease who have homologous recombination DNA damage response mutations. In 2018, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) updated the Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology to state that all individuals with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer meet criteria for hereditary cancer testing, including but not necessarily limited to testing of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes,” said Dr. Ocean. “With the hopeful increase in genomic testing—both germline and somatic—that is being offered to these patients, we will likely discover even more patients who will benefit from platinum-based therapy and other targeted therapies. Many more patients will become eligible for clinical trials investigating novel agents in these patient subgroups.” ■

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Ocean reported no conflicts of interest.