[A case of unresectable pancreatic cancer showing tumor dormancy treated with gemcitabine].
A 67-year-old woman visited our hospital with a chief complaint of epigastralgia. The patient was diagnosed as having unresectable pancreatic cancer because abdominal CT and angiography revealed a tumor that had invaded a common bile duct, portal vein and superior mesenteric vein. A palliative operation was performed because of obstructive jaundice. Peritoneal dissemination was observed and confirmed pathologically. The patient was treated with gemcitabine after the palliative operation. A gemcitabine 30 min i.v. infusion at a starting dose of 1,000 mg/m2 was administered once a week for 3 weeks with a 1-week rest. The patient experienced grade 2 leukocytopenia, so the dose of gemcitabine was reduced to continue the chemotherapy. The patient continued to undergo the palliative chemotherapy without severe adverse effects. As a result, the patient was in tumor dormancy for 15 months. It is important for the patient to induce an acceptable level of toxicity in clinical practice and to continue the chemotherapy.
Egawa
Tomohisa
T
Dept. of Surgery, Saiseikai Kanagawaken Hospital.
Nagashima
Atsushi
A
Kitano
Mitsuhide
M
Doi
Masakazu
M
Hayashi
Shinobu
S
Yoshii
Hiroshi
H
D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D010166:Palliative Care; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine