Pancreatic Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pancreatic Cancer, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, information.

Toxicities and effects of involved-field irradiation with concurrent cisplatin for unresectable carcinoma of the pancreas.

Kawakami H, Uno T, Isobe K, Ueno N, Aruga T, Sudo K, Yamaguchi T, Saisho H, Kawata T, Ito H

Department of Radiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuou-ku, Chiba-City, Chiba, Japan.

PURPOSE: To evaluate local effects and acute toxicities of involved field irradiation with concurrent cisplatin (CDDP) for unresectable pancreatic carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients with unresectable pancreatic carcinoma were treated with chemoradiotherapy. Sixteen were Stage IVA; 17 were Stage IVB. The total prescribed dose of radiotherapy was 50 Gy/25 fractions or 50.4 Gy/28 fractions, using a three-dimensionally determined involved-field that included only the primary tumor and clinically enlarged lymph nodes. Twelve patients received a daily i.v. infusion of CDDP; 21 patients received a combination of CDDP and 5-fluorouracil either i.v. or through the proper hepatic artery. RESULTS: Twenty-seven (82%) patients completed planned chemoradiotherapy. Nausea was the most frequent complaint. No patient experienced Grade 4 toxicities. More than half achieved pain relief. As for the primary site, only 4 patients (12%) achieved a partial response at 4 weeks; however, 3 additional patients attained >50% tumor reduction thereafter. The most frequent site of disease progression was the liver, and only 3 patients developed local progression alone. No regional lymph nodal progression outside the treatment field was seen. Median survival time and survival at 1 year were 7.1 months and 27%, respectively, for the entire group. Difference in overall survival between patients with and without distant metastases was significant (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Involved-field irradiation with concurrent daily CDDP was well tolerated without compromising locoregional effects.

Published 20 July 2005 in Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 62(5): 1357-62.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Pancreatic Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.