title: Current status in chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
abstract: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is one of the most lethal types of cancer in the United States. Surgical resection remains the only curative treatment, but fewer than 20% of patients qualify as candidates. The past two decades saw major changes in the treatment of advanced PDA, a shift of standard protocol from 5-fluorouracil to gemcitabine and gemcitabine-based combinations, the introduction of molecular target therapy and multi-agent regimens. However, even with advancements in medicine, PDA is still extremely resistant to currently available regimens, which results in poor prognosis, with only 5.2% of patients alive at three years. This provides a challenge to scientists as they seek to find the best active regimen with the least side-effects. In this article, we review the current recommended guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. In addition, we highlight major clinical trials since 2011.
authors: St. Mary’s Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors: Huynh
authors: H
authors: Cao
authors: Duong
authors: D
authors: LE
authors: Li-Xi
authors: LX
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
keywords: FOLFORINOX; Pancreatic adenocarcinoma; chemotherapy; clinical trials; combined therapy; gemcitabine; review