title: A pilot study of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with locally advanced biliary tract cancer.
abstract: Combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin is a standard treatment for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine- and cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer.
  
  
  
  Patients with pathologically proven, unresectable, non-metastatic biliary tract cancer were enrolled. Gemcitabine was administered intravenously at a dose of 1000 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, and 15. Cisplatin was administered intravenously at a dose of 70 mg/m(2) on day 1. All the patients underwent concurrent radiotherapy with 45 Gy in 1.8-Gy daily fractions. After treatment completion, tumor response was evaluated by using computed tomography.
  
  
  
  Eighteen patients were enrolled between June 2007 and October 2011. Their median age was 61 years (range, 38-72 years). Eight patients (44.5 %) were diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, six (33.3 %) with Klatskin's tumor, and four (22.2 %) with distal common bile duct cancer. After treatment completion, partial response was achieved in five patients (27.8 %) and stable disease in 13 patients (72.2 %). The overall response rate was 27.8 %, and the disease stabilization rate was 100 %. No grade 4 adverse events or treatment-related deaths occurred. The most common grade 3 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (33.3 %) and anemia (11.1 %). The median progression-free and overall survival times were 6.8 months (range, 4.5-19.8 months) and 9.6 months (5.4-30.4 months), respectively.
  
  
  
  This study shows that gemcitabine- and cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy is feasible and tolerable in patients with unresectable and non-metastatic biliary tract cancer.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, 20 Ilsan-ro, Wonju, 26426, Republic of Korea.
authors: Kyong Joo
authors: KJ
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Yong-in Severance Hospital, Yong-in, Republic of Korea.
authors: Seung Woo
authors: SW
authors: Yi
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jihye
authors: J
authors: Cha
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Jinsil
authors: J
authors: Seong
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
authors: Seungmin
authors: S
authors: Bang
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
authors: Si Young
authors: SY
authors: Song
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, 20 Ilsan-ro, Wonju, 26426, Republic of Korea. loverkorea2009@gmail.com.
authors: Hee Man
authors: HM
authors: Kim
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea. swoopark@yuhs.ac.
authors: Seung Woo
authors: SW
authors: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001661:Biliary Tract Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003138:Common Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D018285:Klatskin Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine
keywords: Biliary tract cancer; Chemoradiotherapy; Cisplatin; Gemcitabine; Survival