Impact of S-1 in patients with gemcitabine-refractory pancreatic cancer in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the impact of S-1 on the prognosis of patients with gemcitabine-refractory pancreatic cancer.


METHODS
A total of 108 patients with gemcitabine-refractory pancreatic cancer were divided by the time of S-1 introduction in our institution: 47 patients who experienced progressive disease before February 2005 (pre-S-1 group) and 61 patients showed progressive disease after February 2005 (post-S-1 group). Introduction rates of second-line chemotherapy and survival were compared. Prognostic factors for residual survival were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model.


RESULTS
Introduction rates of second-line chemotherapy were 12.8% in the pre-S-1 group and 45.9% in the post-S-1 group. Second-line chemotherapy was administered to 34 patients: 29 using S-1, 4 using 5-fluorouracil-based chemoradiation and 1 using 5-fluorouracil. The objective response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival for second-line chemotherapy with S-1 were 17.2%, 2.5 and 7.7 months, respectively. By the introduction of S-1 in our institution, residual survival was prolonged from 3.1 months in the pre-S-1 group to 6.7 months in the post-S-1 group (P < 0.001). Overall survival from the initiation of gemcitabine was 8.8 months in the pre-S-1 group and 11.3 months in the post-S-1 group (P = 0.013). Multivariate analysis identified the post-S-1 group (hazard ratio, 0.43; P = 0.001), gender, performance status, liver metastasis, and lactate dehydrogenase and C-reactive protein levels at progressive disease for gemcitabine to be prognostic factors for residual survival.


CONCLUSIONS
The introduction of S-1 might improve the prognosis of patients with gemcitabine-refractory pancreatic cancer.
Nakai
Yousuke
Y
Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
Isayama
Hiroyuki
H
Sasaki
Takashi
T
Sasahira
Naoki
N
Kogure
Hirofumi
H
Hirano
Kenji
K
Tsujino
Takeshi
T
Ijichi
Hideaki
H
Tateishi
Keisuke
K
Tada
Minoru
M
Omata
Masao
M
Koike
Kazuhiko
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004338:Drug Combinations; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010094:Oxonic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D005641:Tegafur / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D004338:Drug Combinations; D003841:Deoxycytidine; C079198:S 1 (combination); D005641:Tegafur; D010094:Oxonic Acid; D000093542:Gemcitabine