title: Predicting Survival After Irradiation of Metastases from Pancreatic Cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with metastases from pancreas cancer benefit from individualized care, including radiotherapy for symptom control. To administer the optimal radiation therapy, it is important to understand a patient's prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven variables were analyzed regarding their relationship with survival: age, gender, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), number of metastatic sites, interval from diagnosis of pancreatic cancer to irradiation of metastases, type of irradiated metastasis, and radiation dose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On univariate analysis, survival was positively associated with age ≤ 67 years (p=0.045), KPS >70 (p<0.001), and involvement of only one metastatic site (p=0.013). A longer interval between diagnosis and irradiation of metastases showed a trend for better survival (p=0.077). On multivariate analysis, age [risk ratio (RR)=4.29; p=0.004], KPS (RR=1.95; p=0.020), number of metastatic sites (RR=2.20; p=0.009) and interval to irradiation (RR=4.41; p=0.005) achieved significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study identified four independent predictors of survival in patients with pancreatic cancer irradiated for metastasis and thus contributes to treatment optimization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bolm
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany Medical Practice for Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Käsmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Visceral Surgery, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wellner
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bartscht
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Schild
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany Rades.Dirk@gmx.net.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rades
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: Pancreatic cancer; expected survival; irradiation; metastasis; predictive factors