Neoadjuvant chemoradiation and pancreaticoduodenectomy for initially locally advanced head pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The most accepted treatment for locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LAPA) is chemoradiotherapy (CRT). We sought to determine the benefit of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in patients with LAPA initially treated by neoadjuvant CRT.


METHODS
From January 1996 to December 2006, 64 patients with LAPA (borderline, n=49; unresectable, n=15) received 5-fluorouracil-cisplatin-based CRT. Of the 64 patients, 47 had progressive disease at restaging. Laparotomy was performed for 17 patients, and PD was performed in 9 patients (resected group). Fifty-five patients had CRT followed by gemcitabine-based chemotherapy (unresected group).


RESULTS
The median survival and overall 5 years survival duration of all 64 patients were 14 months and 12%, respectively. The mean delay between diagnosis and surgical resection was 5.5 months. Mortality and morbidity from PD were 0% and 33%, respectively. The median survival of the resected group vs. the unresected group was 24 months vs. 13 months. Three specimens presented a major pathological response at histological examination. No involved margins were found and positive lymph nodes were found in one patient. Resected patients developed distant metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
PD after CRT was safe and resected patients had interesting survival rates. However, resected patients developed metastatic disease and new neoadjuvant regimens are needed to improve the survival of these patients.
Turrini
O
O
Department of Surgical Oncology, Institut Paoli-Calmettes and Université de Méditerranée Marseille, France. oturrini@yahoo.fr
Viret
F
F
Moureau-Zabotto
L
L
Guiramand
J
J
Moutardier
V
V
Lelong
B
B
Giovannini
M
M
Delpero
J R
JR
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000093542:Gemcitabine