title: A phase II pilot trial of 13-cis retinoic acid and interferon-alpha in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advanced unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma has a dismal prognosis. The authors previously have shown that retinoic acid (RA) and interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) inhibit growth and induce differentiation in human pancreatic carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The purpose of this trial was to examine the feasibility and tolerability of a combination therapy of 13-cis RA and IFN-alpha in patients with advanced unresectable pancreatic carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients (median age, 62 years) with histologically confirmed, unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma classified as International Union Against Cancer Stage III (5 patients) or IV (17 patients) were included. Patients received 1 mg/kg body weight 13-cis RA orally and 6 million IU IFN-alpha subcutaneously daily. Restaging by ultrasound, computed tomography scan, and chest X-ray was performed every 2 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No complete remission and 1 partial remission (PR) (4.5%) were observed. Fourteen patients (63.6%) demonstrated stable disease with a median duration of 5.0 months (range, 2.3-17.7+ months). Toxicity mainly was related to IFN-alpha and predominantly was hematologic (no toxicity was World Health Organization [WHO] Grade 4 and 13.6% were WHO Grade 3). Nonhematologic toxicities did not exceed Grade 2 (skin and oral mucosa) and mainly were related to 13-cis RA. The median survival of the patients with Stage III disease was 8.7 months (range, 6.8-23.9+ months) and was 7.4 months for patients with Stage IV disease (range, 0.9-19.2+ months), resulting in a median overall survival of 7.7 months (range, 0.9-23.9+ months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination therapy with 13-cis RA and IFN-alpha is feasible and well tolerated in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma. Based on the median survival rates observed in this study this combination should be investigated further in Phase III trials.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum Benjamin Franklin, Free University of Berlin, Department of Gastroenterology, Germany.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Brembeck
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schoppmeyer
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Leupold
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gornistu
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Keim
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mössner
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Riecken
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosewicz
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015474:Isotretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D015474:Isotretinoin