Abstract
Background
Pancreatic cancer is a highly virulent disease with a poor prognosis. Although objective tumor response to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy is low, some patients show an improvement in their symptoms after treatments, without obvious tumor regression.
Methods
We assessed the clinical benefit of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with protracted 5-fluorouracil infusion in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Sixteen patients were enrolled in this study. The clinical benefit response to the chemoradiotherapy was evaluated by 2 indicators, including pain (intensity of pain and consumption of morphine) and performance status. A patient was defined to be a clinical benefit responder if 1 of these 2 variables was positive, and the other variable was positive or stable.
Results
Seven patients (44%) responded. Six patients (38%) were classified as stable, and 3 (19%) as nonresponders. The survival period in responders was significantly longer than that in nonresponders and stable patients.
Conclusion
Concurrent external-beam radiation therapy, with protracted 5-fluorouracil infusion, may be a meaningful treatment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
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Okusaka, T., Okada, S., Ishii, H. et al. Clinical benefit response of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with protracted 5-fluorouracil infusion in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Int J Clin Oncol 3, 93–97 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02492854
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02492854