This pilot study consists of a cohort of 100 locally advanced unresectable or metastatic PDAC subjects with a prospective analysis of biomarkers that may be associated with CC, a major negative prognostic factor in outcomes.~The study protocol-directed assessments consist of four experimental measures (gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and available clinical information including weights, imaging review of sarcopenia, and select labs) used to determine factors that potentially contribute to CC in subjects with PDAC. Main confounding factors to be evaluated include stage of disease, receipt of anti-cancer therapies, and sites of metastatic disease.~Specimens collected from PDAC patients treated at any LCI site may include blood or buccal swabs. Specimens may be collected during any participating LCI visit after the initial visit.~Collected and processed specimens will be stored for analysis in the Biospecimen Repository of Levine Cancer Institute (BSR) and analyzed in the Nutrition Research Institute (NRI). All specimen results will remain deidentified. Personal health information will be collected on study participants and linked to results of genomic analysis but will be deidentified prior to any data analysis and presentation at scientific conferences, sharing with non-Atrium Health investigators and for publications.
A major complication of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is cancer cachexia (CC) which is a complex syndrome characterized by skeletal muscle mass loss (with or without loss of fat mass) and progressive functional impairment not reversible by conventional nutritional support. It is estimated to occur in over 75% of patients with advanced PDAC, the highest incidence of all solid tumors, and contributes significantly to poor outcomes and mortality. Though there is overlap amongst the pathophysiologic studies evaluating CC in murine models of different tumor types, the high prevalence of CC within gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies and specifically PDAC suggest that dedicated studies evaluating polymorphisms in candidate genes specific to PDAC warrant further evaluation. The collection and analysis of specimens under this study will facilitate the identification and characterization of genomic polymorphisms associated with CC in PDAC patients. Subsequently, this data may help contribute towards diagnostic and therapeutic treatments that may improve patient outcomes.