Dr. Manji on Predictive or Prognostic Biomarkers in GI Cancers

Gulam A. Manji, MD, PhD, director, Medical Oncology and Translational Research for The Pancreas Center, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, discusses the role of finding biomarkers in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

Several new clinical trials are showing “small glimpses of hope” with active combination regimens targeting patient populations with newly identified actionable mutations, according to Manji. In particular, Manji believes the future for patients with BRAF and NTRK mutations, translocations, and fusions is “really bright.”

However, NTRK translocations are found in a small percentage of patients with GI malignancies; therefore, the identification of biomarkers and treatments help a minority of patients, according to Manji. Despite its small impact, Manji is encouraged at the newfound ability to help this patient population.