title: A case of pancreatic cancer achieving symptomatic improvement with systemic chemotherapy.
abstract: We present a case of pancreatic cancer demonstrating symptomatic improvement with systemic chemotherapy using 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin (FP therapy). A 43 year-old man had pancreatic cancer with para-aortic lymph node metastases. He received FP therapy and achieved a partial response. After the initiation of chemotherapy, his symptoms such as severe pain and fatigue improved remarkably. Serum interleukin-6 levels correlated with these symptoms; the level was high before chemotherapy, but the levels were decreased during the courses of FP therapy. It is important to achieve symptomatic improvement in patients with pancreatic cancer, and serum interleukin-6 levels may be useful to evaluate a symptomatic response to chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kosakamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okusaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimori
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuno
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil