title: Chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer of the pancreas.
abstract: Opinions about the value of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer vary from the idea that its use should be abandoned because of lack of proven efficacy and considerable toxicity to the idea that it may produce clinically meaningful responses correlated with improved survival. A systematic review of the available literature-based evidence was undertaken. The results are discussed in relation to supportive evidence from recent studies focusing on patient benefit. Six randomized trials of chemotherapy in advanced disease and two in the adjuvant setting with a no-active treatment group were identified. All eight trials were small, and the methodology was not always what is currently desirable. One of four palliative trials reported during the early 1980s, and both trials completed during the 1990s showed a slight survival benefit with chemotherapy. In one of the trials, quality of life (QoL) was also more often improved after 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy than after best supportive care. Supportive evidence for a slight prolongation of survival and a clinical benefit also comes from trials comparing different drugs. No standard regimen is defined, although one drug, gemcitabine, has been approved in some countries for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. The two randomized adjuvant trials included a very small number of patients, and, although a survival benefit was seen, conclusive evidence supporting the use of adjuvant chemo (radio) therapy is still lacking. Chemotherapy has low activity in advanced pancreatic cancer, but it can improve survival and well-being in some patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Radiology and Clinical Immunology, Section of Oncology, Uppsala University Hospital, SE-75185 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Glimelius
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases; D000093542:Gemcitabine