Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42090751›Full record

Trial reportESMO open2026

Perioperative NALIRIFOX in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: updated analysis of survival and circulating and genetic biomarkers from the phase II nITRO trial.

E Scarlato, V Merz, S Pietrobono, S Casalino, A Quinzii, C Zecchetto, L Mendo, S Giacomazzi, A Bonato, V De Vita and 3 more

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase II
In one paragraph

Trial report in ESMO open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

13 authors.

E ScarlatoDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
V MerzDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Medical Oncology Unit, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy.
S PietrobonoDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
S CasalinoDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
A QuinziiDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
C ZecchettoDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
L MendoDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
S GiacomazziCentro Ricerche Cliniche di Verona, CRC, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy.
A BonatoDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
V De VitaDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
G ButturiniPancreatic Surgery Unit, Ospedale Pederzoli, Peschiera del Garda, Italy.
R SalviaPancreatic Surgery Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.
D MelisiDigestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Investigational Cancer Therapeutics Clinical Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy. Electronic address: davide.melisi@univr.it.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe optimal perioperative strategy for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains undefined, and predictive biomarkers to guide treatment selection are lacking. The phase II nanoliposomal IrinoTecan with 5-fluorouracil, levofolinic acid and oxaliplatin in patients with Resectable pancreatic cancer (nITRO) trial showed the activity of perioperative NALIRIFOX in patients with resectable PDAC. Here, we report updated survival outcomes and translational analyses of this trial. PATIENTS AND

methodsPlasma levels of 25 cytokines were quantified via multiplex bead-based immunoassay. Germline whole-exome sequencing assessed variants in tumor suppression, DNA damage repair (DDR), and drug metabolism pathways. Five in silico tools re-evaluated variants of uncertain significance. Statistical correlations between circulating cytokines or germline pathogenic variants and clinical outcomes were determined.

resultsAfter a median follow-up of 50.2 months, the median overall survival (mOS) was 32 months in the intention-to-treat population and 48 months in patients who underwent resection. High baseline tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were consistently associated with reduced treatment response (P = 0.022), lower resection probability (P = 0.007), and shorter survival (P = 0.014). Germline pathogenic/predicted damaging variants in DDR or tumor suppressor genes (g.Deficient) were detected in 36.2% of patients and correlated with improved outcomes. Patients with combined g.Deficient/TNF-α-low status achieved the most favorable prognosis, with an mOS of 55 months and a 100% resection rate. DPYD c.496A>G predicted both severe gastrointestinal toxicity and chemotherapy dose reductions.

conclusionsLong-term results from the nITRO trial confirm the activity of perioperative NALIRIFOX in resectable PDAC. Inflammatory, genomic, and pharmacogenomic biomarkers strongly influenced treatment response, surgical eligibility, survival, and toxicity. Biomarker integration could enable more precise patient stratification and guide personalized perioperative strategies in PDAC.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsCarcinoma, Pancreatic DuctalPancreatic NeoplasmsAgedBiomarkers, TumorFemaleFluorouracilHumansIrinotecanMaleOxaliplatinBiomarkers, TumorFluorouracilIrinotecanOxaliplatinDNA damage repairDPYDNALIRIFOXpancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaperioperative therapyTNF-α

Identifiers

PMID42090751
PMCPMC13157054

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.