Clinical outcomes and molecular characteristics of lung-only and liver-only metastatic pancreatic cancer: results from a real-world evidence database

Abrahm Levi, Edik Blais, John Davelaar, Matthew I. Ebia, Angela Minasyan, Nima Nikravesh, Gillian Gresham, Lei Zheng, Jennifer W. Chuy, Rachna T. Shroff, Raymond Couric Wadlow, Patricia DeArbeloa, Lynn Mc Cormick Matrisian, Emmanuel Petricoin, Michael J. Pishvaian, Jun Gong, Andrew Eugene Hendifar, Arsen Osipov*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: Previous research demonstrates longer survival for patients with lung-only metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC) compared to liver-only mPDAC. The objective of this study is to understand the survival differences, impact of chemotherapy, and associated genomic features of mPDAC that is isolated to either the liver or lung. Patients and methods: Longitudinal clinical outcomes and molecular sequencing data were retrospectively analyzed across 831 patients with PDAC across all stages whose tumors first metastasized to the liver or lung. Survival differences were evaluated using Cox regression. Mutational frequency differences were evaluated using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Median overall survival (mOS) was shorter in patients with liver-only metastasis (1.3y [1.2-1.4], n = 689) compared to lung-only metastasis (2.1y [1.9-2.5], n = 142) (P = .000000588, HR = 2.00 [1.53-2.63]. Survival differences were observed regardless of choice of 1st-line standard-of-care therapy. For 5-fluorouracil-based therapies, mOS for liver-only mPDAC was 1.4y [1.3-1.6] (n = 211) compared to 2.1y [1.8-3.3] for lung-only mPDAC (n = 175) (P = .008113, HR = 1.75 [1.16-2.65]). For gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel therapy, mOS for liver-only mPDAC was 1.2y [1.1-1.5] (n = 175) compared to 2.1y [1.6-3.4] for lung-only disease (n = 32) (P = .01863, HR = 1.84 [1.11-3.06]). PDAC tumors with liver-only metastases were modestly enriched (unadjustable P < .05) for: TP53 mutations, MYC amplifications, inactivating CDK2NA alterations, inactivating SMAD alterations, and SWI/SWF pathway mutations. PDAC tumors with lung-only metastases were enriched for: STK11 mutations, CCND1 amplifications, and GNAS alterations. Conclusion: Patients with lung-only mPDAC demonstrate an improved prognosis relative to those with liver-only mPDAC. Responses to chemotherapy do not explain these differences. Organotropic metastatic tumor diversity is mirrored at the molecular level in PDAC.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberoyaf007
JournalOncologist
Volume30
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Mar 2025

Keywords

  • genetic profile
  • metastasis
  • pancreatic cancer
  • prognostic factors
  • treatment outcome

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