629 Background: NENs are a heterogeneous group of tumors with variable clinical behavior. While most NENs occur sporadically, a subset arises in the context of germline cancer predisposition syndromes. The prevalence of GPVs in NENs is increasingly recognized, but the reported frequency and spectrum of genes involved remain inconsistent across studies. Therefore, systematic review and meta-analysis is helpful to clarify the prevalence and clinical significance of PGVs in pts with NENs. Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis of prospective and retrospective studies reporting germline testing in pts with NENs was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. The primary outcome was the prevalence of GPVs. Random-effects models (GLMM) with logit transformation were applied to estimate pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Nine studies comprising 1304 patients with NENs were included. The median age was 53.8 (10-88.5) years, 52% were female (n=678/1304), and 56% (n=736/1304) were unselected cohorts (all-comers) and 44% (568/1304) were selected cohorts (testing based on clinical suspicion and high-risk features defined by each study). Across all cohorts, the pooled prevalence of PGVs was 19.6% (95% CI: 10.68–33.15%), with high heterogeneity (I² ≈ 96%). Subgroup analyses demonstrated comparable GPV prevalence between selected (13.2%, 95% CI 6.3–25.8) and unselected cohorts (23.0%, 95% CI 12.0–39.6) (p=0.25). GPV prevalence stratified by pancreatic NENs (17.8%, 95% CI 12.6–24.5) and other NENs (10.6%, 95% CI 6.5–17.0) was also not statistically different (p=0.08). The most altered genes involved DNA repair and cellular signaling pathways, including APC, ATM, BRCA1/2, BAP1, CHEK2, MEN1, MUTYH, VHL, RET, and TSC1/2. Germline variants in mismatch repair (MMR) genes were reported in approximately 2.5% of cases. Conclusions: This study represents the first systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the prevalence of germline mutations in NENs. Approximately 20% of pts with NENs harbor a germline pathogenic variant, underscoring the importance of genetic counseling and germline testing. The wide variability across studies highlights the need for standardized genetic testing approaches. These findings support routine referral for genetic counseling and panel testing in patients with NENs to guide management and familial risk assessment.
Prognostic role of PIK3CA and co-alterations in advanced biliary tract cancer: A multicenter retrospective analysis.
599 Background: Biliary tract cancers (BTC) remain aggressive malignancies with limited treatment options. Alterations in PIK3CA are implicated in tumor progression across solid tumors, but their prognostic impact in BTC remains unclear. We investigated the association of PIK3CA alterations(alt), alone and in combination with TP53 and ARID1A , with survival outcomes in advanced BTC. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1,079 patients with advanced BTC treated with first-line chemotherapy (CT) or chemoimmunotherapy (CIO) across three sites in the USA, Japan, and Brazil. Genomic profiling was performed using next-generation sequencing on tissue and/or liquid biopsy samples. Survival outcomes were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis, with comparisons by log-rank testing and hazard ratios (HR) derived from Cox regression models. Results: PIK3CA alterations were identified in 11% (123/1,079) of patients. The median age at diagnosis was 68 yrs (range, 20–79), with 50% (62/123) female. The most common primary site was intrahepatic in 43.1% (53/123) while majority of patients received CT only 92.5% (111/123). When analyzed with TP53 , 68 pts had PIK3CA/TP53 co-alterations(co-alt), 501 had TP53 alt, 55 had PIK3CA alt alone, and 455 had neither PIK3CA nor TP53 alt (WT/WT). Overall survival (OS) was significantly worse in patients with PIK3CA alt, particularly in the setting of TP53 co-alt. Median OS (mOS) was 22.6 months(m) (95% CI, 20.4–24.8) for PIK3CA/TP53 WT, 15.9 m (95% CI, 11.6–18.5) for PIK3CA alt /TP53 WT, 14.6 m (95% CI, 13.1–19.5) for PIK3CA alt/ TP53 alt, and 17.1 m (95% CI, 15.5–18.8) for TP53alt/PIK3CA WT (p<0.001). In analyses with ARID1A , 32 pts had PIK3CA/ARID1A co-alt, 91 had ARID1A alt only, 120 had PIK3CA alt only, and 836 were WT/WT. PIK3CA/ARID1A co-alt tumors had a mOS of 12.8 m (95% CI, 9.1–NE) compared with 19.3 m (95% CI, 18.1–20.9) in PIK3CA WT /ARID1A WT (p=0.009). Multivariate analysis identified PIK3CA alt (hazard ratio [HR] 1.37, 95%CI 1.09–1.72; p=0.008), PIK3CA alt/ TP53 alt (HR 1.52 95% CI, 1.11–2.07; p=0.008), ARID1A alt/ PIK3CA WT (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.08-1.82, p=0.011), and metastatic status (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.52-2.19, P<0.001) as independent prognostic factors for shorter OS. Conclusions: In advanced BTC, PIK3CA alt were associated with significantly worse overall survival, particularly when co-occurring with TP53 or ARID1A alt. These findings establish PIK3CA as a prognostic biomarker of poor outcome and highlight the need to explore PI3K-targeted therapeutic strategies in BTC.
Durvalumab in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: Real‐World Data From a Large Cohort of Patients Across Multiple International Centers
ABSTRACT Background We recently published the first real‐world multicenter and multi‐institutional study of cisplatin, gemcitabine, and durvalumab in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). Here we present an expanded patient cohort with an increased sample size and longer median follow‐up. Methods The study population included patients with advanced BTC, who received cisplatin/gemcitabine plus durvalumab at 55 centers across 12 countries in Europe, the United States, and Asia. The primary endpoints of the study were progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR) and safety. Results Overall, 1358 patients were enrolled. Median PFS was 7.6 months (95% CI: 7.2–8.1), and median OS was 15.6 months (95% CI: 14.8–16.5). ORR was 35.6%, and DCR was 82.7%. Any grade AEs occurred in 1213 patients (89.3%). Grade 3–4 AEs occurred in 597 patients (43.2%). The rate of immune‐related AEs (irAE) was 20.3%. Grade 3–4 irAE occurred in 3.0% of patients. At the multivariate analysis for OS, normal albumin level (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.57–0.81, p < 0.0001), CEA levels within normal ranges (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.57–0.82, p < 0.0001), NLR < 3 (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.52–0.74, p < 0.0001), ECOG PS 0 (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.42–0.61, p < 0.0001), and prior surgery (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.65–0.99, p = 0.036) were positive prognostic factors. Conclusion The updated findings, derived from an expanded cohort, further support the adoption of durvalumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin in routine clinical practice, reinforcing the efficacy and safety outcomes demonstrated in the phase III TOPAZ‐1 trial.
444 Impact of homologous recombination deficiency on response to chemoimmunotherapy in biliary tract cancer
Abstract Molecular profiling reveals that up to 40% of advanced biliary tract cancers (BTCs) harbor actionable genomic alterations amenable to matched targeted therapies. However, conventional trial designs typically evaluate these agents in pretreated populations, resulting in approvals for later-line use. Notably, 25–44% of patients with advanced BTC may become ineligible for treatment after first-line therapy due to disease progression or functional decline, thus the real-world survival outcomes with matched therapies remains poorly characterized. This international collaborative study includes data from Mayo Clinic, Duke Cancer Institute, and National Cancer Center East (Japan), as well as a combined dataset from the SCRUM-Japan GOZILA, MONSTAR-SCREEN-1, and MONSTAR-SCREEN-2 projects. We assessed overall survival (OS) of patients based on the presence of actionable alterations and the receipt of matched therapy. To adjust for confounding, we applied propensity score weighting with inverse probability of treatment and multivariate Cox regression modeling, controlling for age, sex, tumor location, prior resection, and mutational subgroup. Among 1,049 patients that were analyzed, 358 (34.1%) harbored actionable alterations, with 160 (44.7%) receiving matched targeted therapy. The matched group (patients with actionable tumors who received a matched therapy) were significantly associated with longer median OS (23.3 months; 95% CI: 19.5–30.4) compared to the unmatched group (14.7 months; 95% CI: 12.8–17.9) and those with non-actionable tumors (17.1 months; 95% CI: 15.5–18.7; HR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.46–0.71; p < 0.0001). The unmatched group also was associated with the lowest three-year OS rate (13% vs. 35% in matched and 19% in actionable groups, respectively; p<0.0001). On multivariable analysis with patients who received ≥2 lines of therapy, receipt of matched therapy remained an independent predictor of improved OS (HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.43–0.90). These findings support the early integration of targeted therapies in BTC management and underscore the need to overcome systemic barriers to treatment access.
ASCO 2025: Evolving Standards in Gastrointestinal Cancers
THIS year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 gastrointestinal (GI) sessions presented pivotal data across different GI cancers, reshaping standards of care in these malignancies. Herein, the authors highlight several key studies presented at this year’s meeting.
Negative impact of corticosteroid use on outcome in patients with advanced
BTCs
treated with cisplatin, gemcitabine, and durvalumab: A large real‐life worldwide population
Abstract In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the possible prognostic impact of concomitant medications in patients with cancer treated with immunotherapy combinations. This real‐world analysis aims to evaluate the impact of concomitant medications on survival outcomes in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTCs) treated with cisplatin, gemcitabine and durvalumab (CGD) therapy. The study cohort included patients with a diagnosis of advanced BTCs who were taking concomitant medications for their comorbidities before the start of CGD. The primary objectives were overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). The initial population consisted of 666 patients, who were retrospectively collected from 41 sites in 12 countries. Data on concomitant medications were available for 493 patients. After a median follow‐up of 8.8 months (95% CI: 7.8–9.8), patients who did not take steroids (prednisone >10 mg/day or equivalent) or nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids, before the start of CGD, had longer OS and PFS in univariate analysis. The multivariate analysis confirmed longer OS for patients who did not take steroids. Patients who did not take steroids had an OS of 14.8 months (95% CI: 13.1–29.1) versus 5.0 months (95% CI: 2.14–11.32) of patients who took prednisone >10 mg/day or equivalent. No differences were reported in terms of overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) ( p = 1.0 and p = .16, respectively), and safety profile between the two groups. Our analysis suggests that patients who did not receive steroids before the start of GCD had longer survival and highlighted the relevance of balancing concomitant medications and chemoimmunotherapy.
The impact of molecular alterations in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer receiving cisplatin, gemcitabine, and durvalumab: a large, real-life, worldwide population
Abstract Background Cisplatin, gemcitabine, and durvalumab combination is a standard first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer. This study aimed to assess the impact of genetic alterations on outcomes in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer treated with cisplatin, gemcitabine, and durvalumab in real-world clinical practice. Methods Patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic biliary tract cancer treated with cisplatin and gemcitabine plus durvalumab across 39 centers in 11 countries in Europe, the United States, and Asia were included in this analysis. Results The cohort included 513 patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. The 5 most frequently altered genes were TP53 (22.1%), KRAS (13.7%), CDKN2A/B (13.6%), ARID1A (12.2%), and IDH1 (9.2%). In multivariate analysis, SMAD4 mutations were associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.49, P = .018) and overall survival (HR = 0.11, P = .023), while TP53 mutations were linked to worse PFS (HR = 1.62, P = .0047) and TERT mutations to worse overall survival (HR = 8.92, P = .0012). No other genomic alterations were statistically associated with outcomes. Subgroup analysis showed that TP53 mutations negatively affected PFS and overall survival in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, while KRAS mutations were associated with poorer PFS in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. No gene alterations were linked to outcomes in gallbladder cancer. Conclusions This large-scale analysis, with comprehensive molecular profiling, supports the positive prognostic impact of SMAD4 mutations for PFS and overall survival and highlights the negative prognostic roles of TP53 (PFS) and TERT (overall survival) mutations, providing valuable insights for personalized treatment strategies in biliary tract cancer.
A Prognostic Index for Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer Treated With Cisplatin, Gemcitabine and Durvalumab: The
MAGIC
‐D Index
ABSTRACT Background Over the years, prognostic indexes have been developed to help clinicians stratify patients with biliary tract cancers (BTC) into risk groups. This study aims to identify a new prognostic index for patients with BTC treated with cisplatin, gemcitabine and durvalumab (CGD) in the first‐line setting. Patients and Methods The study population consisted of patients with BTC from 11 Eastern and Western Countries. Using multivariate analysis for overall survival (OS), we identified 5 baseline statistically significant variables: stage, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, albumin levels, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels, neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Metastatic disease is a prognostic factor with a superior weight considering the HR of 3.62, while all the others can be considered prognostic factors with equivalent weight as the HRs are quite similar (HRs between 1.55 and 1.92). Based on these reasons, we developed a prognostic model called the MAGIC‐D index by assigning a score of 2 for metastatic disease, and a score of 1 for CEA increased levels, albumin decreased levels, GGT increased levels, NLR ≥ 3. Patients were stratified into three risk groups as follows: low‐risk group (Score from 0 to 2), intermediate‐risk group (Score from 3 to 4) and high‐risk group (Score from 5 to 6). At the first data cutoff (April 2024), these data were available for 319 patients that composed the training cohort used for the analysis. At the second data cutoff (May 2025), 79 patients were further enrolled and composed the validation cohort. Results Median progression‐free survival was 11.7 months in low‐risk group (20.7%), 8.7 months in intermediate‐risk group (46.4%) and 5.4 months in high‐risk group (32.9%) [low‐risk hazard ratio (HR): 0.27, intermediate‐risk HR: 0.55, high‐risk HR: 1, p < 0.0001]. Median OS was 18.4 months in low‐risk group,15.9 months in intermediate‐risk group and 7.8 months in high‐risk group (low‐risk HR: 0.17, intermediate‐risk HR: 0.43, high‐risk HR: 1, p < 0.0001). There was no difference in overall response rate (low‐risk: 31.8%, intermediate‐risk: 36.5% and high‐risk: 25.7%; p = 0.0718), while disease control rate was significantly different across the three risk groups (low‐risk: 83.3%, intermediate‐risk: 70.9% and high‐risk: 60.9%; p < 0.0001) as well as the rate of patients receiving a second‐line therapy (low‐risk: 54.5%, intermediate‐risk: 48.6% and high‐risk: 25.7%; p = 0.0061). Finally, the prognostic role in terms of OS and PFS of the MAGIC‐D index was confirmed in a validation cohort of 79 patients. Conclusion The MAGIC‐D index is an easy‐to‐use tool able to stratify patients with BTC with different prognoses undergoing first‐line therapy with CGD.
Real-world evidence of fruquintinib (Fruq) efficacy after regorafenib (Rego) and trifluridine–tipiracil (TAS-102) in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).
e23317 Background: mCRC poses significant challenges, particularly in patients (pts) who progress after multiple lines of therapy. Limited effective treatment options are available in the advanced chemotherapy-refractory setting. The FRESCO-2 trial demonstrated that Fruq, a selective VEGFR inhibitor, provides meaningful overall survival (OS) benefit in pts with refractory mCRC. However, there is limited real-world evidence regarding Fruq's efficacy in patients treated after approved third-line therapies. Methods: This retrospective, multi-site cohort study evaluated outcomes in 33 mCRC pts who received Fruq following treatment with Rego and/or TAS-102 with or without bevacizumab. Patients were stratified into two groups: Fruq as a second late-line therapy, after either Rego or TAS-102, (27 patients) and as a third late-line therapy, after both Rego and TAS-102, (6 patients). Overall survival (OS) was calculated from Fruq initiation to death, while time to treatment discontinuation (TTD) was defined as the duration from Fruq initiation to cessation for any reason, including death. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate median survival, and the comparison between groups were done using the log-rank test. Results: Among the 33 pts, the median age was 58 years (range: 35–84), with 57.6% being male. Hepatic metastases were present in 78.8%, and 60.6% had left-sided primary tumors. RAS mutations were observed in 63.6%, and 97% were BRAF wild-type. Median OS was significantly longer in pts who received Fruq as a second late-line therapy (7.2 months) compared to those receiving it as a third late-line therapy (4.0 months) (p = 0.039). Median TTD was similar between groups (2.4 vs. 2.8 months, p = 0.916). Conclusions: This real-world analysis highlights the clinical benefit of Fruquintinib in mCRC patients following treatment with Regorafenib and/or TAS-102. The data suggest flexibility in treatment choices, with Fruquintinib showing improved OS when used earlier in the treatment sequence. These findings underscore the importance of exploring optimal sequencing strategies and evaluating Fruquintinib as a potential option before other approved agents in the refractory setting. Clinical outcomes with fruquintinib as second vs. third late-line therapy. Fruq as Second Late-Line Fruq as Third Late-Line p-value Median OS 7.2 months 4 months 0.039 Median TTD 2.4 months 2.8 months 0.916 OS: Overall Survival; TTD: Time to Treatment discontinuation.