Expert Discusses Olaparib for BRCA+ Pancreatic Cancer

In December 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved olaparib (Lynparza) for the frontline maintenance treatment of patients with BRCA-positive pancreatic cancer. This was a major advancement for this patient subset, explained Teresa Marcarulla, MD, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology.

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I think this is a very good news that olaparib was approved by the FDA, not yet in European countries. This is a good opportunity for those patients with BRCA-mutated tumors to be treated with maintenance treatment for both concepts. First of all, because we can treat those patients without chemotherapy. They can be treated only with maintenance treatment with olaparib that the side effects are less important than on chemotherapy. And also because we have another treatment option for those patients with pancreatic cancer. With olaparib, there are so many patients who can be treated for a long period of time, so it can affect affect those patients.