Early changes in plasma DNA levels of mutant KRAS as a sensitive marker of response to chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer

Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 11;7(1):7931. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-08297-z.

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer (PDAC) is still lacking of reliable markers to monitor tumor response. CA 19-9 is the only biomarker approved, despite it has several limitations in sensitivity and specificity. Since mutations of KRAS occur in more than 90% of tumors, its detection in circulating free tumor DNA (cftDNA) could represent a biomarker to monitor chemotherapy response. Twenty-seven advanced PDAC patients given first-line 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan and oxaliplatin or gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel were enrolled. Three ml of plasma were collected: 1) before starting chemotherapy (baseline); 2) at day 15 of treatment; and 3) at each clinical follow-up. cftDNA was extracted and analysed for KRAS mutations (mutKRAS) by digital droplet PCR. Nineteen patients displayed a mutKRAS in baseline plasma samples. There was a statistically significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with increase vs. stability/reduction of cftDNA in the sample collected at day 15 (median PFS 2.5 vs 7.5 months, p = 0.03; median OS 6.5 vs 11.5 months, p = 0.009). The results of this study demonstrate that cftDNA mutKRAS changes are associated with tumor response to chemotherapy and support the evidence that mutKRAS in plasma may be used as a new marker for monitoring treatment outcome and disease progression in PDAC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Circulating Tumor DNA / analysis*
  • Disease Progression
  • Drug Monitoring / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutant Proteins / genetics*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Plasma / chemistry*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Circulating Tumor DNA
  • KRAS protein, human
  • Mutant Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)