Elena Gabriela Chiorean, MD, physician, clinical director, Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, professor of medicine, University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, clinical research director, Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, UW Medicine, professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses the role of genetic testing in pancreatic cancer.

All patients with pancreatic cancer should undergo germline genetic testing to identify hereditary genetic alterations in the blood, explains Chiorean. Germline mutations may inform prognosis, indicate available targeted therapy options, and lend insight into recommended screening options, Chiorean says. 

Additionally, patients with advanced pancreatic cancer should undergo somatic testing to identify mutations that are not present in the germline mutational profile, concludes Chiorean. 

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Elena Gabriela Chiorean, MD, discusses the role of genetic testing in pancreatic cancer.  



Dr. Chiorean on the Role of Genetic Testing in Pancreatic Cancer 

Gabriela Chiorean, MD, associate professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, discusses adverse events of the phase I study of combination therapies for patients with pancreatic cancer.

There is an ongoing clinical trial for patients with pancreatic cancer that uses nivolumab (Keytruda) and nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane)-based combinations, explains Chiorean. It started with nivolumab and nab-paclitaxel for patients in the second-line setting and was moved to the first-line setting with nivolumab, nab-paclitaxel, and gemcitabine (Gemzar). The main goals of the study are safety and preliminary efficacy.

It was shown that nivolumab did not seem to add any significant toxicity to the chemotherapy regimen. One of the patients experienced a grade 3 dose-limiting toxicity of liver enzyme elevations, which was attributed to chemotherapy. The adverse event quickly resolved after a chemotherapy dose-reduction and nivolumab was resumed at full dose, reinforcing that it was not an immune-related event.

Gabriela Chiorean, MD

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Dr. Chiorean on the Role of Genetic Testing in Pancreatic Cancer

Dr. Chiorean on Combination Therapies for Pancreatic Cancer