title: Gemcitabine therapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer is an extremely aggressive disease. The 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is only less than 5%. Current therapeutic options for patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease are limited. This analysis is a retrospective evaluation of the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine regimen as first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced or recurred pancreatic cancer were consecutively treated. Gemcitabine was diluted in normal saline and administered intravenously over 1 hour. Gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 was administered once weekly for 3 out of every 4 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of patients was 55 years (range 44-82 years). Based on RECIST criteria, there were 5 cases of stable disease (45%) and 6 cases of progressive disease (55%) among the 11 assessable patients. The median survival time was 189 days (range, 84 to 409 days), the 1 year survival rate was 18% in all 17 patients. Grade 3-4 toxic side effect was leucopenia only (29%) and was easily managed without infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gemcitabine is well tolerated, but has no objective response in advanced pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 290-3 Cheonha-dong, Dong-gu, Ulsan, 682-060, Korea. yjmin@uuh.ulsan.kr
authors.forename: Young Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Kwang Ro
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Neung Hwa
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tae Kwon
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Yang Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Nah
authors.forename: Chang Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Jae Hoo
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D015996:Survival Rate; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases; D000093542:Gemcitabine