Downstaging of pancreatic carcinoma after neoadjuvant chemoradiation.
OBJECTIVE
Neoadjuvant chemoradiation could improve survival in patients with pancreatic cancer because of a higher rate of R0 resections, lower rate of nodal metastasis (ypN) and of local recurrence. This approach was tested in a cohort to estimate its effect on survival.


METHODS
Three-dimensional, conformal radiation to the primary tumor (55.8 Gy) and the lymphatics (50.4 Gy) was combined with chemotherapy. Resection was performed 6 weeks after completion of chemoradiation.


RESULTS
38 of 120 patients with locally advanced cancer underwent tumor resection thereafter. Three patients (8%) had pathologic complete response. Median tumor-specific survival was 29 months and overall survival 25 months. Patients with clear margins (35/38; 89%) had a 3-year disease-specific survival rate of 51% versus 0% with positive margins (p = 0.008). Nodal disease rate decreased from 50% at pretherapeutic imaging to 32% at resection. Patients with ypN0 status (n = 26/38) had a 3-year tumor-specific survival rate of 50% compared to 31% in patients with ypN1 status. At multivariate analysis, resection status and nodal spread significantly predicted tumor-specific survival. Chemoradiation was generally well tolerated.


CONCLUSIONS
The current results support randomized testing of neoadjuvant chemoradiation to prove survival prolongation. Compared to the literature this approach seems to reduce the number of positive nodes.
Tinkl
Dominik
D
Department of Radiation Oncology, Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Grabenbauer
Gerhard G
GG
Golcher
Henriette
H
Meyer
Thomas
T
Papadopoulos
Thomas
T
Hohenberger
Werner
W
Sauer
Rolf
R
Brunner
Thomas B
TB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors