title: [Efficacy of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy on advanced pancreatic cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Advanced pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis. Gemcitabine (GEM) can improve the quality of life of pancreatic cancer patients. However, the efficacy of gemcitabine-based combination chemotherapy is uncertain. This study was to compare the efficacy of GEM-based combination therapy and GEM alone on advanced pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data of 40 patients with pathologically or clinically diagnosed advanced pancreatic cancer were analyzed. Of the 40 patients, 15 were treated with GEM (1,000 mg/m(2)) alone weekly for 7 weeks followed by a 2-week rest, then received cycles of 3-week administration with 1-week rest; 25 were treated with GEM (1,000 mg/m(2)) weekly for 2 weeks plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (425-600 mg/m(2)) as bolus at Day 1-5 or 120-hour infusion every 21 days, or cisplatin (DDP) (30-37.5 mg/m(2)) at Day 1-2 every 21 days, or oxaliplatin (85-130 mg/m(2)) at Day 1 every 21 days, or capecitabine (1,000 mg/m(2)) twice a day at Day 1-14 every 21 days, respectively. The survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. Median time to progression (mTTP), clinical benefit response (CBR), disease control rate, median overall survival (mOS) and toxicity were assessed according to World Health Organization criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of CBR was 56.0% in GEM-combination group and 46.7% in GEM alone group. There were no significant differences in disease control rate, mOS, CBR, and adverse events between the two groups (all P>0.05). However, for the patients with stage III-IV advanced pancreatic cancer, the disease control rate was higher in GEM-combination group than in GEM alone group (75.0% vs. 45.5%, P=0.13).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GEM-combination regimens and GEM alone have similar efficacy, and lead to similar clinical benefit response and mOS for the patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
authors: Department of Digestive Disease, School of Oncology & Beijing Cancer Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100036, PR China.
authors: Ji-Fang
authors: JF
authors: Gong
authors: Xiao-Dong
authors: XD
authors: Zhang
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Li-Jun
authors: LJ
authors: Di
authors: Mao-Lin
authors: ML
authors: Jin
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Shen
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069287:Capecitabine; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000093542:Gemcitabine