title: Concomitant Statin Use Has a Favorable Effect on Gemcitabine-Erlotinib Combination Chemotherapy for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Erlotinib-gemcitabine combined chemotherapy is considered as the standard treatment for unresectable pancreatic cancer. This study aimed to determine the clinical factors associated with response to this treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included 180 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer who received ≥2 cycles of gemcitabine-erlotinib combination therapy as first-line palliative chemotherapy between 2006 and 2014. "Long-term response" was defined as tumor stabilization after >6 chemotherapy cycles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 3.9 and 8.1 months, respectively. On univariate analysis, liver metastasis (p=0.023) was negatively correlated with long-term response. Locally advanced stage (p=0.017), a history of statin treatment (p=0.01), and carcinoembryonic antigen levels <4.5 (p=0.029) had a favorable effect on long-term response. On multivariate analysis, a history of statin treatment was the only independent favorable factor for long-term response (p=0.017). Prognostic factors for OS and PFS were significantly correlated with liver metastasis (p=0.031 and 0.013, respectively). A history of statin treatment was also significantly associated with OS after adjusting for all potential confounders (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.92; p=0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that statins have a favorable effect on "long-term response" to gemcitabine-erlotinib chemotherapy in unresectable pancreatic cancer patients. Statins may have a chemoadjuvant role in stabilizing long-term tumor growth.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine and Yonsei Institute of Gastroenterology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Do Chang
authors.initials: do C
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine and Yonsei Institute of Gastroenterology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine and Yonsei Institute of Gastroenterology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine and Yonsei Institute of Gastroenterology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Jae
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine and Yonsei Institute of Gastroenterology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Youp
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine and Yonsei Institute of Gastroenterology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine and Yonsei Institute of Gastroenterology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Si Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine and Yonsei Institute of Gastroenterology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Bock
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine and Yonsei Institute of Gastroenterology, Seoul, Korea. bang7028@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Seungmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D000093542:Gemcitabine
keywords: Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors; erlotinib; gemcitabine; pancreatic neoplasms