title: Final results of a prospective trial of a PEFG (Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5-Fluorouracil, Gemcitabine) regimen followed by radiotherapy after curative surgery for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postoperative management of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA) is controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of postoperative combination chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy in patients aged 18-70 years with a histological diagnosis of PA, and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) > or =70. Cisplatin and epirubicin 40 mg/m2 on day 1, gemcitabine 600 mg/m2 on day 1 and 8, and 5-fluorouracil 200 mg/m2/day as protracted infusion (PEFG regimen) were delivered every 28 days for 4 cycles. Assuming a minimum one-year disease-free survival (DFS) of interest of 65% and a maximum of low interest of 45% (alpha 0.05; beta 0.10), the target enrollment was 51 patients, and the strategy would be considered to deserve further analysis if more than 29 patients were DF at one-year from surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-one patients, KPS >80: 29, median tumor size 3.5 cm, stage II/III/IVA: 2/34/13, grade 3-4: 22, positive resection margins: 26, node positive: 46, received 179 cycles of chemotherapy. Main grade 3/4 toxicity consisted of neutropenia (51%), thrombocytopenia (18%), and anemia (4%). One-year DFS was 67 +/- 7%. Two-year overall survival was 53 +/- 7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative management of PA with this multimodality strategy was well tolerated and yielded a promising outcome.
authors: Department of Radiochemotherapy, S. Raffaele H. Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy. reni.michele@hsr.it
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Reni
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Passoni
authors: Elisa
authors: E
authors: Bonetto
authors: Gianpaolo
authors: G
authors: Balzano
authors: Maria Grazia
authors: MG
authors: Panucci
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Zerbi
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Ronzoni
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Staudacher
authors: Eugenio
authors: E
authors: Villa
authors: Valerio
authors: V
authors: Di Carlo
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D003841:Deoxycytidine; D015251:Epirubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000093542:Gemcitabine