Radiation therapy combined with adriamycin or 5-fluorouracil for the treatment of locally unresectable pancreatic carcinoma

Abstract
One hundred fifty-seven patients with locally unresectable pancreatic carcinoma were randomly allocated to therapy with radiation and 5-fluorouracil or radiation and Adriamycin (doxorubicin). A total of 138 of 143 analyzable patients have died, and no differences in the relative survival impact of the treatments have been observed (P > 0.8). Toxicity on the Adriamycin arm was more substantial (P < 0.05) and primarily attributable to Adriamycin chemotherapy after the completion of radiotherapy.