Dr. Ahn on Link Between Tumor Somatic Variants and Chemo Resistance in Biliary Tract Cancer

Daniel H. Ahn, MD, assistant professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses a next-generation sequencing survey of biliary track cancer (BTC) to reveal the association between tumor somatic variants and chemotherapy resistance.

A rise in the incidence of BTC, which affects both the liver and the bile duct in patients, has been reported in recent years, Ahn explains. Chemotherapy remains the first- and second-line treatment option for refractory patients.

A multicenter, retrospective study examined patients who underwent next-geneyearation sequencing and received treatment with gemcitabine and cisplatin. This was done in order to determine if there was an association with chemotherapy resistance. Some mutations detected were found to be targetable and actionable, including TP53, CKDN2A, and ARID1A. Therefore, clinical trials designed to target these mutations with novel agents should be done, Ahn adds.