title: Efficacy and safety of standardized allergen-removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract in patients with advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer: a Korean single-center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pancreatic cancer has the worst prognosis because of poor response to conventional therapy. We investigated the clinical feasibility of the standardized allergen-removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes (aRVS) extract as a potential therapeutic agent for advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  From July 2006 to June 2010, patients with advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma were checked in our institution. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 42 patients were eligible for the final analysis. Overall survival, clinical benefit and adverse events of these patients treated with aRVS in the aftercare period were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In May 2011, 39 patients had died and the remaining 3 patients were alive with evidence of disease. The mean RVS administration period was 3.86 months (95% confidence interval 2.52-5.20). The median overall survival for the entire population was 7.87 months (95% confidence interval 5.14-10.59), and the 1-year survival rate was 26.2%, which is compatible with external controls. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, aRVS treatment including performance status and prognostic index significantly affected overall survival. A clinical benefit response was also shown by aRVS treatment which was not dependent on concurrent chemotherapy. Adverse reactions to aRVS treatment were mostly mild and self-limiting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The standardized aRVS extract might be beneficial for patients with advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer since it positively affected overall survival and clinical symptoms without significant adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Integrative Cancer Center, Kyunghee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sanghun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyungsuk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyunsik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sookyung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seongha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Sehyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Wankyu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Eo
authors.forename: Woncheol
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D029045:Rhus / Q000737:chemistry*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts