PanCAN's Precision Medicine Trial Designed for Collaboration and Personalized Care

With the announcement of Precision Promise, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) seeks to transform outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients with the goal set to double survival by 2020. The trial is focused on boosting the dismal clinical trial-enrollment rate and using a personalized approach to care.

The PanCAN trial will evaluate the molecular nature of the patient’s tumor to mark mutations and direct the patient to the most suitable sub-study arm of the trial—reflecting the principles of the NCI-MATCH (National Cancer Institute Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice) and TAPUR (Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry) trials. The PanCAN trial offers patients the flexibility to move between arms based on their response to therapy without having to wait between different clinical trials.

The following 12 sites, selected via a competitive peer-reviewed process, will begin enrolling trial participants in the Clinical Trial Consortium:

1. Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
2. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
3. University of Pennsylvania
4. University of Florida
5. Washington University
6. University of Michigan
7. University of Chicago
8. Virginia Mason
9. Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance/University of Washington
10. University of California, San Francisco
11. Cedars-Sinai
12. University of California, San Diego

The Consortium includes 5 working groups, comprised of leading researchers with expertise in specific aspects of pancreatic cancer:

• DNA damage repair working group
• Stromal disruption working group
• Immunotherapy working group
• Supportive care working group
• Industry working group

Under the umbrella of Precision Promise, data collected from all 12 sites will be collated and analyzed together for efficient and timely dissemination of trial data. The trial will initially have a 3-pronged approach toward the disease: DNA damage repair, stromal disruption, and immunotherapy; however, it has been designed to add new arms and sub-studies based on novel research findings.

With an initial commitment of $35 million over the first 4 years—excluding drug costs—the trial expects to enroll thousands of participants starting spring 2017.