title: Gemcitabine as salvage treatment in patients with poorly differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: a case series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare and aggressive tumor. The combination of etoposide and cisplatin is considered as the first-line treatment, but no recommendations exist for further treatment after progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report here case series of three patients who received gemcitabine as salvage chemotherapy in patients with poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas. All the three patients achieved clinical benefit with manageable toxicities. The survival was 5.5, 8, and 9 months respectively after the beginning of gemcitabine in these three patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case series of patients with poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas who received gemcitabine as salvage chemotherapy suggests that gemcitabine could be an effective salvage treatment. Future studies to investigate gemcitabine in this setting are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Section of GI Cancers and Experimental Therapeutics, Tufts University School of Medicine. Boston, MA, USA. wsaif@tuftsmedicalcenter.org.
authors.forename: Muhammad Wasif
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Saif
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaley
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Marie Carmel
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Garcon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine