Stratified Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in western societies, including the United Kingdom, and has a 5-year survival of <5%. Recent large-scale genomic sequencing efforts suggest that, apart from a few that cannot be effectively targeted, mutations occur at a rate of less than 2%, making PC one of the most genomically diverse cancers. This heterogeneity may explain the multiple failed chemotherapeutic trials in the past; at the least, it creates an opportunity to explore a stratified approach based on molecular phenotype. In this chapter, we examine existing evidence and explore a potential stratified approach for PC treatment.