Clinical utility of comprehensive genomic profiling for advanced pancreatic cancer: insights from real-world data analysis

Background: Precision medicine is a promising therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer. However, only a few patients are eligible for genotype-matched treatments because of the low detection rate of actionable genomic alterations, and the clinical application of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in pancreatic cancer has not been completely investigated. CGP provides considerable information, including the prognosis and eligibility of patients for genotype-matched treatments, which can guide physicians’ treatment strategies. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of CGP to patient outcomes. Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with recurrent or metastatic pancreatic cancer with adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma who underwent systemic chemotherapy between April 2018 and April 2022. We reviewed the medical records for patient characteristics, survival, and genomic information. We compared overall survival (OS) between patients who received CGP (CGP group) and those who did not (non-CGP group). Results: Of 111 eligible patients, 59 underwent CGP. Median OS was significantly longer in the CGP than the non-CGP group (25.2 vs. 11.8 months; hazard ratio, 0.49; P = 0.0013). Six patients (10.2%) underwent genotype-matched treatments, with a median OS of 35.5 months, compared to 17.0 months for those who did not. The CGP group demonstrated a higher transition rate to subsequent chemotherapy than did the non-CGP group (76.3% vs. 48.1%, P = 0.0030). Conclusions: OS was prolonged in patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent CGP, probably due to its influence on physicians’ treatment strategies. These findings highlight the importance of the proactive and timely implementation of CGP in patients with pancreatic cancer.