What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to identify molecular biomarkers that predict recurrence patterns in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients after neoadjuvant therapy and surgery.

April 5, 2026

Abstract 6446: Molecular profiling to predict the first site of recurrence in pancreatic cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery

Key Points

The research aims to identify molecular biomarkers that predict recurrence patterns in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients after neoadjuvant therapy and surgery.
Retrospective analysis of PDAC patients who received neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery
Utilization of uni- and multivariable binary logistic regression
Assessment of clinicopathologic variables and NGS-based molecular features
Analysis of recurrence patterns across a cohort of 244 patients
Mutations in KRASQ61X, CDKN2B, ATM, and BRCA2 were significantly associated with specific recurrence sites
Locoregional recurrence linked to KRASQ61X mutation (OR, 5.6)
Liver recurrence associated with CDKN2B mutations (OR, 4.4)
ATM mutations correlated with lung and peritoneal recurrences (ORs, 7.7 and 5.0 respectively)
Bone recurrence predicted by BRCA2 mutations (OR, 7.7)

Abstract

Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal cancers, with a five-year survival rate of only 13%. Although neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy have improved resectability and survival outcomes, most patients ultimately experience disease recurrence. Identifying biomarkers that can stratify recurrence patterns is therefore critical for optimizing patient selection and tailoring postoperative management. We retrospectively analyzed data from PDAC patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center between May 2013 and November 2024. Uni- and multivariable binary logistic regression including clinicopathologic variables and NGS-based molecular features was used to predict the first site of recurrence. Among 244 patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy for PDAC, 138 had complete clinicopathologic and NGS-based molecular data. Most common mutated genes included TP53 (69.6%), KRASG12D (43.5%), KRASG12V (31.2%), CDKN2A (24.6%), SMAD4 (20.3%), KRASG12R (12.3%), CDKN2B (10.1%), KRASQ61X (7.2%), ATM (5.1%), and BRCA2 (4.3%). First-site recurrence patterns were locoregional (25.5%), liver (32.6%), lung (21.0%), peritoneum (14.5%), and bone (7.2%). Molecular features independently and significantly predicted the first site of recurrence. Specifically, KRASQ61X mutation was associated with increased risk of locoregional recurrence (OR, 5.6, 95% CI 1.4-22.4, p=0.01), CDKN2B mutations with liver recurrence (OR, 4.4, 95% CI 1.2-16.2, p=0.02), ATM mutations with both lung (OR, 7.7, 95% CI 1.3-44.9, p=0.02) and peritoneal recurrence (OR, 5.0, 95% CI 1.0-24.4, p=0.04), and BRCA2 mutations with bone recurrence (OR, 7.7, 95% CI 1.2-48.9, p=0.03). Our study demonstrates that molecular profiling can predict the first site of recurrence in PDAC patients who have undergone neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery. While prospective validation in larger cohorts is warranted, this work provides a foundation for developing risk-adapted postoperative surveillance strategies in PDAC. Citation Format: Luigi Liguori, Marco Ventin, Liti Zhang, Erica Daniels, Giulia Cattaneo, Chiara Camillo, Maoyang Qi, Enrica Quattrocchi, Eduardo Tejeda-polanco, Arsen Osipov, Alexandra Gangi, Andrew Hendifar, Nicholas Nissen, Kambiz Kosari, Francesco Sabbatino, Cristina R. Ferrone. Molecular profiling to predict the first site of recurrence in pancreatic cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery abstract. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 6446.

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