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Adjuvant chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer

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Summary

There is increasing interest in the use of adjuvant treatment for pancreatic cancer since although postoperative mortality is much improved, median long-term survival is only on the order of 11–15 mo. Despite a proliferation of studies in advanced pancreatic cancer indicating a benefit for chemotherapy, there has only been one small randomized adjuvant trial. A combination of 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and mitomycin-C demonstrated a significantly improved median survival (23 vs 11 mo in controls) but no significant improvement in 5-yr survival (4 vs 8%, respectively). At present there is insufficient evidence to support the routine use of adjuvant chemotherapy (even with radiotherapy) outside of controlled trials. What is required is large randomized trials of adjuvant chemotherapy. A further important question that needs addressing is the role of adjuvant radiotherapy (with concomitant chemotherapy) with or without sequential chemotherapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston, B15 2TH, Birmingham, UK

    Simon R. Bramhall & John P. Neoptolemos

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  1. Simon R. Bramhall
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  2. John P. Neoptolemos
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Bramhall, S.R., Neoptolemos, J.P. Adjuvant chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. Int J Pancreatol 21, 59–63 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02785921

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02785921

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