Aggressive therapy for cancer of the pancreas. Does it help?
Aggressive therapy clearly plays a role in the management of pancreatic cancer, be it localized to that organ, limited to the upper abdomen, or metastatic. A significant percentage of patients with resectable disease can be salvaged by radical resection of the cancer and aggressive adjuvant therapies. Five-year survival rates exceeding 30% have been reported from Japan. A supportive-care-only treatment philosophy ensures that almost all patients will die of cancer and that new treatment regimens will not be evaluated, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Such a policy is no longer tenable.
Merrick
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Medical College of Ohio, Toledo.
Dobelbower
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D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D010166:Palliative Care; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy
D005472:Fluorouracil