Dr. Graham on Utilizing Biomarkers to Guide Treatment in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Rondell Graham, MBBS, an associate professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, discusses utilizing biomarkers to guide treatment for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Currently, tests are utilized to determine which patients may respond to treatment with novel inhibitors, according to Graham. For example, detecting FGFR2 fusions, which are present in approximately 20% of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, could indicate who might experience improved responses to those targeted therapies, Graham explains. Multiple studies have demonstrated the utility of testing for these biomarkers, and many drugs that target this mutation have gained regulatory approval, Graham notes. 

Additionally, IDH1 and IDH2 mutations are also detected in this patient population, Graham says. As such, patients with these mutations could be susceptible to treatment with IDH inhibitors, Graham adds. Data suggest that these therapies have led to disease stabilization, which is clinically meaningful because historically, poor rates of response to conventional chemotherapy have been observed in this patient population, Graham concludes.