Pancreatic Cancer
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Jun 01 – Jun 08, 2026
Daraxonrasib or Chemotherapy in Previously Treated Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer.
NEW ENGL J MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #2/332TOP-TIER
This phase 3, international, open-label, randomized trial investigated daraxonrasib versus chemotherapy in 500 patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). Daraxonrasib, an oral RAS(ON) inhibitor, significantly improved median overall survival to 13.2 months compared to 6.6 months with chemotherapy in the KRAS G12 population (HR 0.40, P<0.001). Similarly, median progression-free survival was 7.3 months versus 3.5 months (HR 0.45, P<0.001). These findings demonstrate daraxonrasib’s superior efficacy, offering a promising new therapeutic option for clinicians managing advanced pancreatic cancer.
10.1056/NEJMoa2605555
May 25 – Jun 01, 2026
Longitudinal Risk for Suicidal Self-Directed Violence Among Veterans With Cancer.
JAMA ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #14/326TOP-TIER
This national cohort study assessed longitudinal risks and methods for suicidal self-directed violence (SSDV) among 292,271 veterans with invasive solid or hematologic cancer (2014-2023) using registries. Overall, 2400 SSDV events occurred (203 per 100,000 person-years), with poisoning most common (26%). High rates were found in patients with CNS, pancreas, head and neck, liver and biliary system, and thyroid cancers, advanced cancer (261 per 100,000 person-years), severe frailty, chronic mental illness, and high pain scores. Risks persisted five years post-diagnosis for younger (≤45 years), unmarried, advanced cancer, and CNS cancer patients, highlighting vulnerable subgroups. This emphasizes the critical need for systematic tracking of suicidal behaviors and tailored screening strategies within comprehensive cancer care, especially for these high-risk populations.
10.1001/jamaoncol.2026.1459
May 11 – May 18, 2026
Age-Dependent Interplay of Modifiable Risk Factors and Genetic Risk in Pancreatic Cancer.
JAMA ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #14/326TOP-TIER
This prospective cohort study investigated the age-dependent interplay of modifiable and genetic risk factors for pancreatic cancer (PC) in 290,645 UK Biobank participants over 11.7 years. It found that while polygenic risk (PRS) consistently increased PC risk across all ages, modifiable risk (MRS) showed stronger associations in younger adults (<60 years, HR 1.69; 95% CI, 1.43-2.01). The absolute difference in 10-year cumulative incidence between high and low MRS was most pronounced among high PRS individuals, particularly in younger age groups (6.1-fold greater). These findings highlight the critical importance of initiating early-life prevention strategies, especially targeting modifiable risk factors in younger adults with high genetic predisposition to PC.
10.1001/jamaoncol.2026.1192
May 04 – May 11, 2026
Pancreatic cancer.
NAT REV DIS PRIMERS · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #3/332TOP-TIER
This abstract reviews pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, a deadly malignancy, focusing on advances in diagnosis, treatment, and future directions. It highlights improved outcomes with multiagent chemotherapy and surgical innovations, which have enhanced complete resection rates and converted unresectable disease. Emerging strategies include precision medicine, personalized RNA vaccines, KRAS-directed agents, and AI-assisted early detection. The review is highly relevant to cancer research, emphasizing multidisciplinary, biology-guided approaches to transform pancreatic cancer into a more manageable condition.
10.1038/s41572-026-00699-6
Apr 13 – Apr 20, 2026
Elraglusib and chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a randomized controlled phase 2 trial.
NAT MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #1/195TOP-TIER
This phase 2 randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of adding elraglusib, a GSK-3β inhibitor, to gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (GnP) in 233 patients with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The combination therapy significantly improved median overall survival to 10.1 months compared to 7.2 months for GnP alone (HR 0.62; P=0.01), nearly doubling the 1-year survival rate from 22.3% to 44.1%. For oncology clinicians, these results demonstrate a clinically meaningful survival benefit with a manageable safety profile, despite higher rates of grade 3 or higher neutropenia (52.3%) and fatigue (16.8%). These findings support elraglusib/GnP as a promising first-line treatment strategy for metastatic pancreatic cancer, providing a strong rationale for the upcoming phase 3 confirmatory trial.
10.1038/s41591-026-04327-4
Mar 30 – Apr 06, 2026
Quemliclustat and chemotherapy with or without zimberelimab in metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a randomized phase 1 trial.
NAT MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #1/195TOP-TIER
This phase 1b trial (ARC-8) evaluated the safety and efficacy of quemliclustat, a CD73 inhibitor, combined with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (G/nP) with or without zimberelimab (anti-PD-1) in 138 patients with first-line metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The safety profile was consistent with G/nP across all treatment arms, and clinical response rates and survival outcomes were encouraging. High tumor NR4A expression was associated with improved overall survival (OS) in ARC-8, and maximal downregulation of NR4A expression in paired biopsies correlated with T cell activation and improved OS. This research directly addresses cancer by investigating a novel combination therapy for metastatic PDAC, a challenging malignancy, and identifies potential biomarkers and mechanisms of action relevant to oncology. The findings suggest a promising therapeutic strategy for PDAC and highlight the potential role of NR4A expression as a predictive biomarker and a target for modulating the tumor microenvironment to enhance clinical benefit.
10.1038/s41591-026-04283-z
Mar 23 – Mar 30, 2026
Pembrolizumab and olaparib in homologous-recombination-deficient metastatic pancreatic cancer: the phase 2 POLAR trial.
NAT MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #1/195TOP-TIER
This phase 2 trial (POLAR) evaluated the efficacy of maintenance pembrolizumab plus olaparib following platinum-based chemotherapy in 63 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer stratified by homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) status. In the core HRD cohort (BRCA1/2 or PALB2 mutations), the objective response rate was 35% and the 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 64%, which failed to meet the study’s pre-specified primary endpoints. Despite missing these endpoints, the core HRD group demonstrated a median overall survival of 28 months and a 3-year survival rate of 44%, significantly outperforming the non-core HRD and wild-type cohorts. These results suggest that while the combination may not benefit all patients, a specific subset of HRD-positive pancreatic cancer patients may achieve prolonged survival through biomarker-guided maintenance immunotherapy strategies.
10.1038/s41591-026-04299-5
Development and Validation of a Parsimonious Risk Stratification Model for Pancreatic Cancer.
JAMA ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #14/326TOP-TIER
This cohort study developed and validated PRIME, a parsimonious model predicting incident pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using routinely available electronic health record data from over 11 million adults across US and UK health systems. PRIME, utilizing 19 predictors, demonstrated strong discrimination for PDAC at 36 months (AUC = 0.75 in US cohorts, 0.71 in UK Biobank), with patients in the top 1% of predicted risk having a substantially higher PDAC risk (HR, 7.63; 95% CI, 6.85-8.49). This transparent, EHR-based model effectively stratifies pancreatic cancer risk, offering a practical tool for earlier detection strategies. The findings imply PRIME could guide EHR-based case-finding for PDAC and integrate with other early-detection assays to improve patient outcomes.
10.1001/jamaoncol.2026.0372
Setidegrasib in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer.
NEW ENGL J MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #2/332TOP-TIER
This phase 1 study evaluated the safety and antitumor activity of setidegrasib, a novel KRAS G12D-targeted protein degrader, in 203 patients with previously treated advanced solid tumors, primarily non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. At the 600 mg dose, 36% of 45 NSCLC patients achieved a partial response with a median progression-free survival of 8.3 months, while 24% of 21 metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients had a response with a median progression-free survival of 3.0 months. These findings demonstrate promising antitumor activity for setidegrasib in advanced KRAS G12D-mutated NSCLC and pancreatic cancer, addressing a critical unmet need for targeted therapies. The study implies setidegrasib could be a significant therapeutic option, warranting further investigation in later-phase trials for these specific cancer populations.
10.1056/NEJMoa2600752
Mar 09 – Mar 16, 2026
Romiplostim versus Placebo for Chemotherapy-Induced Thrombocytopenia.
NEW ENGL J MED · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #2/332TOP-TIER
This phase 3, international, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated romiplostim for persistent chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) in patients receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers. Romiplostim significantly reduced CIT-induced chemotherapy dose modifications, with 84% (92 of 109 patients) in the romiplostim group experiencing no modifications compared to 36% (20 of 56 patients) in the placebo group (odds ratio 10.16; P<0.001). This finding is highly relevant to cancer care as it enables patients with gastrointestinal cancers to maintain optimal chemotherapy dose intensity, which is crucial for treatment efficacy. Romiplostim offers a promising strategy to manage CIT, potentially improving the delivery and outcomes of chemotherapy for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies.
10.1056/NEJMoa2511882
Mar 02 – Mar 09, 2026
The OligoPanc project: an interdisciplinary expert consensus statement on oligometastatic pancreatic cancer.
LANCET ONCOL · Q1 JOURNAL - RANK #8/326TOP-TIER
The OligoPanc project used a modified Delphi process with clinical vignettes to establish an expert consensus definition for oligometastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a specific cancer subtype. The consensus defines oligometastatic PDAC as up to three metastatic lesions in a single organ (liver or lung), which can be synchronous or metachronous, and mandates systemic treatment before any local consolidative therapy. This directly addresses the lack of standardized criteria for a specific stage of pancreatic cancer, which is crucial for designing future clinical trials and guiding treatment decisions. The primary implication is that this definition should be incorporated into future trials to improve comparability and enable validation of treatment approaches for this patient group.
10.1016/S1470-2045(25)00714-4