Intra-arterial chemotherapy of advanced pancreatic cancer: a single center experience.
OBJECTIVE
The main aim of the present work was to determine response rates and time to progression in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with intra-arterial chemotherapy.


METHODS
Nineteen chemotherapy-naive patients with measurable lesions were treated with intra-arterial 5-fluorouracil 1000 mg/m2, leucovorin 100 mg/m2, carboplatin 300 mg/m2 and epirubicin 60 mg/m2 (FLEC regimen) every 21 days. Prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factors were administered on days 4-10 of each cycle.


RESULTS
There were 16 patients evaluable for response, of whom 4 (25%) had a partial response, 7 (44%) showed stable disease, and 5 (31%) progressed. Marker response rate was 43%. Median time to progression was 4 months and median overall survival was 6 months. One-year overall survival was 16%. No grade 4 toxicity or severe complications relating to the angiographic procedure were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that intra-arterial FLEC is well tolerated and active against advanced pancreatic cancer.
Milandri
Carlo
C
Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Meldola, Italy. res.onco@ausl.fo.it
Calzolari
Filippo
F
Passardi
Alessandro
A
Tison
Chiara
C
Giampalma
Emanuela
E
Cecconetto
Lorenzo
L
Golfieri
Rita
R
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010478:Chemotherapy, Cancer, Regional Perfusion; D018450:Disease Progression; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015251:Epirubicin; D016190:Carboplatin; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil