J Korean Cancer Assoc.  1998 Apr;30(2):300-305.

Combined Chemoradiation of Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

• Jang JY
• Kang KM
• Kim IA
• Choi IB
• Lee JH
• Kim EK
• Kim SN
• Sun HS
• Chung KW
• Choi MK
• Han JY
• Mun HL

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was designed to evaluate the survival rate and prognostic factor of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who received chemoirradiation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From March 1993 to November 1995, twenty patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer were treated at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, St Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College. There were 11 men and 9 women. Age at diagnosis ranged from 34 to 75 years. All patient were treated according to a protocol consisting of 40 Gy external radiation by split course concomitant with intravenous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 500 mg/m2 given in a bolus injection 4 hours before radiatian on each of the first 3 days of each treatment course. Among them, 5 patients received incomplete radiotherapy. The follow-up period ranged from 1.3 to 29 months.
RESULTS
In all the patients, median survival is 5.0 months and one and two-year overall survival rate was 34.3% and 25.8%, respectively. Median survival was 9.0 months and one-year survival rate was 33.3% in 15 patients with complete radiotherapy. The significant prognostic factors were stage, tumor location, and completion of chemoradio- therapy(p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
A combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy resulted in improved median survival. However, the significant prognostic factars affecting survival rate in this analysis need to be verified further through randomized trial.

Keyword

Advanced pancreatic cancer; Chemoirradiation

MeSH Terms

Diagnosis
Drug Therapy
Female
Fluorouracil
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Pancreatic Neoplasms*
Radiation Oncology
Radiotherapy
Survival Rate
Fluorouracil