Complete response to olaparib in a patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer harboring a germline BRCA2 mutation

Metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, and systemic therapy is still the main treatment option. Pathological germline mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are present in around 4–7% of cases of pancreatic cancer (PC). The poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib has had antitumor activity in this population. Following the results of the phase III POLO trial, the PARP inhibitor olaparib was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a maintenance therapy in germline BRCA1 - and BRCA2 -mutated mPC patients whose cancers had not progressed on first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Maintenance olaparib increased median progression-free survival by 3.6 months compared to the placebo control. In these case, we describe a patient with a germline BRCA 2 -mutated, mPC who has a complete response to maintenance olaparib therapy. As of June 2025, the patient has experienced a complete response to olaparib for 20 months, enjoying a very good quality of life throughout this period.