title: Intra-arterial chemotherapy of advanced pancreatic cancer: a single center experience.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Meldola, Italy. res.onco@ausl.fo.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milandri
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calzolari
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Passardi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tison
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giampalma
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cecconetto
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Golfieri
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D016190:Carboplatin; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil