Molecular Portrait of Key Driver of Pancreatic Cancer Offers Hope for Continued Treatment Advances

June 27, 2024byDr. Monica M. Bertagnolli

Cancer arises when changes in genes that normally control cell division lead to unchecked growth at the expense of healthy tissues. One of the most common genetic alterations across human cancersoccurring in 95% ofpancreatic cancersbut also many non-small cell lung cancers, colorectal cancers, and othersis in a gene known as KRAS. While promising new treatments targeting KRAS to shrink cancerous tumors have recently gained approval, less than 40% of pancreatic cancers respond to treatment with KRAS inhibitors for reasons that arent well understood.

Theres much more to learn about how KRAS spurs cancer growthand how KRAS-mutant cancers resist treatment with existing KRAS inhibitors. To address this need, researchers behind two studies inScience have established the most comprehensive molecular portrait yet of the workings of KRAS and how its many downstream impacts may influence outcomes for people with pancreatic cancer.The findings could lead to new treatment approaches, including ways to potentially guide treatment for individuals with pancreatic cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S.