Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40492845›Full record

ArticleOncotarget2025

Exceptional responders to immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer: A multi-institutional case series of a rare occurrence.

Kavin Sugumar, Andrew Alabd, Andre Alabd, Jonathan J Hue, Josh Lyons, Sherri Fields, Zev Wainberg, Lei Zheng, Brianna Coogle, Anup Kasi and 5 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Oncotarget, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Kavin SugumarDepartment of Surgery, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Andrew AlabdDepartment of Medicine, Cooper University Healthcare, Camden, NJ 08103, USA.
Andre AlabdDepartment of Urology, University of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN 46227, USA.
Jonathan J HueDepartment of Surgery, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Josh LyonsDepartment of Surgery, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Sherri FieldsDepartment of Medicine, UCLA/Santa Monica Cancer Center, CA 90404, USA.
Zev WainbergDepartment of Medicine, UCLA/Santa Monica Cancer Center, CA 90404, USA.
Lei ZhengDepartment of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Brianna CoogleDepartment of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA.
Anup KasiDepartment of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA.
Nicholas GrewalDepartment of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Hedy L KindlerDepartment of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Jason StarrDepartment of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.
Ashwin R SamaDepartment of Medicine, Jefferson Medical Oncology Associates, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Jordan M WinterDepartment of Surgery, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionImmunotherapy has emerged as a standard treatment option for multiple solid tumors. However, most patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) do not derive a significant benefit. Identification and analyses of exceptional responders could eventually offer hints as to why PC is resistant to immunotherapy.

methodsOncologists from cancer centers in the United States were contacted to identify patients with PC who responded to immunotherapy. Exceptional responders were defined as those having either partial (PR) or complete response (CR) based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, or biochemical response (CA 19-9 levels) after starting immunotherapy. Patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy were excluded.

results14 patients met inclusion criteria. Immunotherapy drugs included checkpoint inhibitors and macrophage inhibitors. Eight patients (42%) were MSI (microsatellite instability)-high. Radiologically, 82% had PR. Four patients (28%) had marked reduction in CA 19-9. The median progression-free survival was 12 months from the start of immunotherapy. Median survival was not reached. The 1- and 2-year survival probabilities were 80%, 70% respectively.

conclusionMajority of clinical trials evaluating immunotherapy in PC have yielded disappointing response rates compared to other solid tumors. Our case series adds to published data from early-phase trials supporting the promise of immunotherapy in some patients with PC.

Indexed as

Immune Checkpoint InhibitorsImmunotherapyPancreatic NeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMicrosatellite InstabilityMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeImmune Checkpoint Inhibitorsexceptional respondersimmunotherapymicrosatellite instabilitypancreatic adenocarcinomasurvival

Identifiers

PMID40492845
PMCPMC12151408

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.