First-line nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer from routine clinical practice.
BACKGROUND
The combination of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine is a new effective first-line chemotherapy for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. This was demonstrated in the phase III MPACT trial.


METHODS
Four patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer from our clinical practice received combination chemotherapy with nab-paclitaxel at doses from 100 to 125 mg/m(2) and gemcitabine at doses from 800 to 1,000 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Two patients had elevated serum levels of total bilirubin, one older patient had significant comorbidities, another older patient had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2.


RESULTS
Treatment was manageable. Patients showed clinical remission or disease stabilization. Overall, combination chemotherapy was well tolerated.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer that did not meet all criteria, as patients treated in the registration trial, were safely and effectively treated with first-line combination of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine.
Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany Vogel.Arndt@mh-hannover.de.
Arndt
A
Vogel
Division of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Medical Department, Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charité Medical University, Berlin, Germany.
Uwe
U
Pelzer
Institute of Clinical Cancer Research, Hospital Northwest Krankenhaus Nordwest, University Cancer Center Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
Al-Batran
AB
Salah-Eddin
Department of Internal Medicine, Herdecke Community Hospital, Herdecke, Germany.
Wolf
W
Köster
D000368:Aged; D000418:Albumins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
C520255:130-nm albumin-bound paclitaxel; D000418:Albumins; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D017239:Paclitaxel; D001663:Bilirubin; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemotherapy; first-line; gemcitabine; metastatic; nab-paclitaxel; pancreatic cancer