title: Combined modality treatments in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Of all the carcinomas, pancreatic carcinoma (PC) has the highest mortality rate, with a 1- and 5-year survival rate of 25% and less than 5% respectively. This is regardless of the stage at diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review relevant literature assessing the evidence regarding preoperative and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is discussed. Furthermore, new therapeutic approaches are summarized, while the future direction regarding the multimodality approach to PC is also discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The role of combined-modality therapy for PC is continuously evolving. There have been several recent developments, as well as the completion of major, multi-institutional clinical trials. One of the challenges for the busy clinician is to appreciate the variation in staging, surgical expertise, and application of either definitive CRT or neo-adjuvant CRT for local and/or borderline disease.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Unit, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Troiano
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silvestris
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nanni
authors.forename: Tiziana Pia
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Latiano
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Maggio
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cinieri
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Sebastiano
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colucci
authors.forename: Evaristo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maiello
mesh_terms: D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*