title: Phase II study of gemcitabine in combination with docetaxel in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma (E1298). A trial of the eastern cooperative oncology group.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Responses have been observed in several studies of docetaxel as treatment for advanced pancreatic carcinoma. This trial was designed to determine if the addition of docetaxel to gemcitabine therapy produced responses in >/=25% of patients with chemonaive advanced pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This trial involved patients with biopsy-proven, advanced carcinoma of the pancreas not amenable to surgical resection. Patients received docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) i.v. over 1 h followed by gemcitabine 2,000 mg/m(2) biweekly until progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint of the trial was to determine the objective response rate with secondary endpoints of progression-free survival and overall survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 32 eligible patients, 2 patients had a complete response and 2 patients had a partial response for an observed objective response rate of 12.5% (90% CI: 4.4, 26.4%). Median survival was 4.7 months. Most toxicities were hematologic, with 48% of patients experiencing grade 4 toxicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The confirmed complete response rate of 6% and partial response rate of 6% is encouraging, but the toxicity of this regimen appears significant. Based upon these results, this combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel is not worthy of further study. Different schedules and dosages may be more promising.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va., USA.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Shepard
authors.forename: Donna E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Jordan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Berlin
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: Jules E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aviles
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Al Bowen
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Benson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014481:United States; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D043823:Taxoids; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000077143:Docetaxel; D000093542:Gemcitabine