The medical management of pancreatic cancer: a review.
Pancreatic carcinoma is a commonly occurring cancer that tends to present late in its course when potentially curative surgical treatment is not possible. The majority of patients are, therefore, candidates for systemic therapy. We review the patient and disease-related factors that contribute to the difficulties in the medical management of this condition and discuss new methods of assessing response to treatment, including the introduction of more clinically relevant novel end points such as clinical benefit response. We review the current trial literature examining the use of conventional cytotoxic agents in this disease, both as single agents and in combination. We also review the use of more novel targeted agents and examine their potential utility in this disease. The use of the farnesyl transferase inhibitors, matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors, epidermal growth factor receptor antagonists, and angiogenesis inhibitors is discussed.
McKenna
Sarah
S
Department of Oncology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Eatock
Martin
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents