title: Treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer: the role of radiation therapy.
abstract: Pancreatic cancer remains associated with an extremely poor prognosis. Surgical resection can be curative, but the majority of patients present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. Treatment for patients with locally advanced disease is controversial. Therapeutic options include systemic therapy alone, concurrent chemoradiation, or induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation. We review the evidence to date regarding the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC), as well as evolving strategies including the emerging role of targeted therapies. We propose that if radiation is used for patients with LAPC, it should be delivered with concurrent chemotherapy and following a period of induction chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8040, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Johung
authors.forename: Muhammad Wasif
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Saif
authors.forename: Bryan W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D066246:ErbB Receptors