Z Gastroenterol 2005; 43 - 2
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-869649

The effect of multimodal therapy on time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) in unresectable locally advanced non-metastatic pancreatic cancer (LANMPC)

Y Al-Farhat 1, J Hadjiev 3, D Kelemen 2, K Hideghéti 1, T Csere 1, K Stefanits 1, M Eleméry 1, Ö Horváth 2, I Repa 3, O Ésik 1
  • 1PTE ÁOK Institute of Oncotherapy
  • 2PTE ÁOK Institute of Surgery
  • 3KE Institute of Radiotherapy

Background: Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat and almost impossible to screen for. Surgical resection offers the best possibility for cure, however, only 15–20% of patients are diagnosed with the disease at a resectable stage. We initiated a multimodal regimen to investigate the TTP and OS for patients with LANMPC.

Methods: Between January 2003 and January 2005 21 unresectable patients were treated with LANMPC (T4, N Gem-5-FU (1000mg/m2 Gemcitabine and 500mg/m2 5-Fluorouracil) weekly for 13 weeks followed by chemoradiotherapy (CH-RT) in 17th week: total dose: 45Gy, 1.8Gy/day, 5 days a week, 5 weeks, and concurrent chemotherapy with 5-FU continuous infusion in first and fifth weeks in days 1–5. After CH-RT 2 cycles Gem-5-FU were administered.

Results: At a median follow up time of 14.3 months (range: 9–19), the median overal survival was 12.9 months (range: 9–19), and the TTP was 10.46 months (range: 2–15). 1 year survival was 85% (11/13 patients). Thrombocytopaenia and leucopaenia G:3 was observed at 15% and the gastrointestinal toxicities were usually mild.

Conclusions: These results suggest that the multimodal therapy is an effective and tolerable regimen for the treatment of locally advanced non-metastatic pancreatic cancer. Randomised studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.