Michael J. Hall, MD, MS, chair and associate professor, Department of Clinical Genetics, director, Gastrointestinal Risk Assessment, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses the importance of genetic testing in pancreatic cancer.

On the heels of encouraging data from the phase III POLO trial presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting, Hall stresses that actionable mutations are very common in pancreatic cancer. Research indicates that approximately 10% to 15% of patients with pancreatic cancer have a clinically meaningful genetic alteration in their tumor that is important not only to their disease but also in terms of their family history.

Germline testing is not only inexpensive in the United States, but the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines suggest it should be standardized in practice. There are still barriers that stand in the way of this, Hall says, but physicians need to overcome them in order to provide the best patient care.

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Michael J. Hall, MD, MS, chair, Department of Clinical Genetics, director, Gastrointestinal Risk Assessment, associate professor, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses the importance of genetic testing in pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Hall on the Importance of Genetic Testing in Pancreatic Cancer

Michael J. Hall, MD, MS, chair, Department of Clinical Genetics, director, Gastrointestinal Risk Assessment, associate professor, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses the rationale for the POLO trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Metastatic pancreatic cancer has one of the poorest prognoses in oncology, Hall says. Traditionally, the only treatment option for the majority of patients who present with metastatic disease is cytotoxic chemotherapy. This is particularly challenging because these regimens are difficult to tolerate for symptomatic patients.

Preliminary data from several years ago suggest that pancreatic tumors with germline 

 mutations respond differently to platinum-based therapy. Over time, researchers began to understand that homologous recombination deficiency drove this unique response. The emergence of PARP inhibitors generated renewed interest in this space, although researchers were skeptical that an oral agent could lead to improved outcomes in pancreatic cancer, says Hall.

In the phase III POLO trial presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting, maintenance therapy with olaparib (Lynparza) significantly improved progression-free survival compared with placebo among patients with germline 

Michael J. Hall, MD, MS, director, Gastrointestinal Risk Assessment, assistant professor, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses the rationale for the POLO trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Michael J. Hall, MD, MS

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Dr. Hall on the Importance of Genetic Testing in Pancreatic Cancer

Dr. Hall Discusses Rationale for the POLO Trial in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer