title: Successful resection of advanced pancreatic tail cancer after neoadjuvant gemcitabine chemotherapy: report of a case.
abstract: Pancreatic cancer with distant metastasis is not an indication for surgery, and the median survival of these patients is less than 3 months. We report the case of a patient who has survived for 21 months without any signs of recurrence after resection of advanced pancreatic cancer following a course of chemotherapy with gemcitabine (GEM). A 75-year-old man was hospitalized for anorexia and emaciation. Examinations showed pancreatic cancer with distant peritoneal metastasis. After the main tumor and metastasis had been shrunk by GEM chemotherapy, we performed distal pancreatectomy combined with splenectomy. Microscopically, the main tumor was confirmed as moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma with interstitium and fibrosis. The radicality of the surgery was R0, according to the TNM classification of the UICC. The patient recovered well and has had no clinical symptoms for 40 months since the initial chemotherapy. This case suggests that multidisciplinary treatment with GEM may prolong the survival of some patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Soseikai General Hospital, 1 Hiroosacho, Shimotoba, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-8473, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Fumihiro
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minato
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aikawa
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine