Journal issues > Issue 6, October 2020 > Precision therapy in pancreaticobiliary cancers: molecular testing for all?

Precision therapy in pancreaticobiliary cancers: molecular testing for all?

By: J-L. van Laethem MD, PhD, L. Mans MD, A. Demols MD, PhD

SUMMARY

Pancreaticobiliary cancers remain challenging to be treated due to aggressive biology and heterogeneous molecular patterns. Chemotherapy remains the backbone therapy, with two lines available in each cancer. Using targeted therapies in unselected populations has led to complete failure while currently used immunotherapy with anti-PD1 can only be active in instable tumours (MSI-High), a rare condition in these cancers. As recently reported, targeting specific genes in pancreaticobiliary cancers may significantly improve tumour control and offer new ways to manage them, in addition to conventional chemotherapies usually proposed in front line. Consequently, it is now more and more recommended to perform genetic and genomic testing of these tumours, searching for new druggable targets. Dedicated trials focusing on such enriched populations are currently ongoing.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2020;14(6):274-9)

To read the full artice you have the following options:

* (only possible for healthcare professionals with RIZIV/INAMI/MATRICULE working in the field of Oncology/Hemato-oncology in Belgium and Luxembourg with prescription authorisation)

Purchase this article for €3.03

** (for healthcare professionals with prescribing authorisation working outside the field of Oncology/Hemato-oncology in Belgium and Luxembourg as well as those without prescribing authorisation working as healthcare professional in Oncology/Hemato-oncology in Belgium and Luxembourg, plus persons without prescription authorisation working outside Belgium and Luxembourg, plus healthcare professionals with prescribing authorisation outside Belgium and Luxembourg plus non-healthcare professionals from outside or inside Belgium or Luxembourg)

Top