title: Second-line therapy in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: At the time of diagnosis most of patients present with advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer, thereby precluding surgical resection. While the standard of care in the first line setting is established, there are limited data to support a standard second-line chemotherapy regimen. The authors summarize two interesting studies (Abstract #263 and Abstract #287) presented at the 2013 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. These studies concern two phase II trials about second-line chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. The first one evaluated the role of fluoropyrimidine as monotherapy versus fluoropyrimidine in combination with irinotecan (Abstract #263) and the second one compared the fluoropyrimidine treatment with the continuation of gemcitabine as monotherapy (Abstract #287).
authors.affiliation: Oncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, University of Athens, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens, Greece. lskoura@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skoura
authors.forename: Konstantinos N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Syrigos
authors.forename: Muhammad Wasif
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Saif
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic / Q000379:methods; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D010094:Oxonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; C079198:S 1 (combination); D005641:Tegafur; D010094:Oxonic Acid; D000077146:Irinotecan; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin