Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation for patients with locally unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma: feasibility, efficacy, and survival

Abstract

We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation for patients with locally unresectable pancreatic cancer. From October 2000 to August 2006, 245 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma underwent surgical exploration at our institution. Of these, 78 patients (32%) had undergone neoadjuvant therapy for initially unresectable disease, whereas the remaining patients (serving as the control group) were explored at presentation (n∈=∈167). All neoadjuvant patients received gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, often in conjunction with docetaxal and capecitabine in a regimen called GTX (81%). Seventy-five percent of neoadjuvant patients also received preoperative abdominal radiation (5,040 rad). Neoadjuvant patients were younger than control-group patients (60.8 vs 66.2 years, respectively, p∈