Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Radiation and 5-Fluorouracil: A First Step to Neoadjuvant Treatment?

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Abstract
Aim of the Study: In two institutions, a retrospective analysis was performed on patients with histologically proven locally advanced pancreatic cancer without distant metastases. The aim of this analysis is to assess whether chemoradiotherapy provides survival benefit for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods: Forty-five patients from the Erasmus Medical Centre ( Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, received 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and radiotherapy and, 38 patients from the Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam (AMC) were offered the best supportive care. Radiotherapy consisted of 50 Gy external upper abdomen radiation in two courses, concomitant with intravenous 5-FU 25 mg/kg/24 h continuously on the first 4 days of each treatment course. Results: The treatment protocol was completed in 38 of 45 patients (84%) without complications. Radiological response was evaluated in 38 patients. Ten pa-tients (26%) showed a partial response, stable disease was seen in 6 (16%) patients and progressive disease in 22 (58%) patients. A second-look operation was performed in 8 of 10 patients (72%) showing a radiological response, in 3 patients the tumour could be resected. Median overall survival time for the Erasmus MC group (n = 45) was 9.8 months compared to 7.6 months when the best supportive care was given (AMC group, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Although overall survival remains poor, treatment with 5-FU and radiotherapy might benefit some patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Base

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