Until recently, chemotherapy was considered ineffective in pancreatic cancer and these patients received best supportive care only. Now, there is evidence that chemotherapy may influence the natural history of the disease by prolonging survival and there are data on its role as an effective tool for the improvement of physical conditions in patients with advanced disease. The results are far from conclusive, and only partially satisfying but they represent a step forward.
AhlgrenJ.D.: Chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer.Cancer,78: 654–663, 1996.
2.
ArdalanB., SinghG., SilbermannH.: A randomized phase I and II study of short-term infusion of high-dose fluorouracil with or without N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartic acid in patients with advanced colorectal and pancreatic cancer.J. Clin. Oncol.,6: 1053–1058, 1988.
3.
AuerbachM., WamplerG.L., LokichJ.J., FryerD., FryerJ.G., AhlgrenJ.D.: Treatment of advanced pancreatic carcinoma with a combination of protracted infusional 5-fluorouracil and weekly carboplatin: a Mid-Atlantic Oncology Program study.Ann. Oncol.,8: 439–444, 1997.
4.
BurrisH.A.III, MooreM.J., AndersenJ., GreenM.R., RothenbergM.L., ModianoM.R., CrippsM.C., PortenoyR.K., StornioloA.M., TarasoffP., NelsonR., DorrF.A., StephensC.D., Von HoffD.D.: Improvements in survival and clinical benefit with gemcitabine as first-line therapy for patients with advanced pancreas cancer: a randomized trial.J. Clin. Oncol.,15: 2403–2413, 1997.
5.
CarmichaelJ., FinkU., RussellR.C.G., SpittleM.F., HarrisA., SpiesslG.: Phase II study of gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.Br. J. Cancer,73: 101–105, 1995.
6.
CasperE.S., GreenM.R., KelsenD.P., HeelanR.T., BrownT.D., FlombaumC.D.: Phase II trial of gemcitabine in patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.Invest. New Drugs,12: 29–35, 1994.
7.
CullinanS., MoertelC.G., WieandH.S., SchuttA.J., KrookJ.E., FoleyF.F., NorrisB.D., KardinalK.G., TschetterL.K., BarlowJ.F.: A phase III trial on the therapy of advanced pancreatic carcinoma. Evaluations of the Mallinson regimen and combined 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cisplatin.Cancer65: 2207–2212, 1989.
8.
EvansT.R.J., LoftsF.J., MansiJ.L., GleesJ.P., DalgleishA.G., KnightM.J.: A phase II study of continuous-infusion 5-fluorouracil with cisplatin and epirubicin in inoperable pancreatic cancer.Br. J. Cancer,73: 1260–1264, 1996.
9.
GlimeliusB., HoffmanK., GrafW., HaglundU., NyrenL., PahlmanL., SjodenP.O.: Cost-effectiveness of palliative chemotherapy in advanced gastrointestinal cancer.Ann. Oncol.,6: 267–274, 1995.
10.
GlimeliusB., HoffmanK., SjodenP.O., JacobssonG., SellstromH., EnanderL.K., LinneT., SvenssonC.: Chemotherapy improves survival and quality of life in advanced pancreatic and biliary cancer.Ann. Oncol.,7: 593–600, 1996.
11.
LionettoR., PuglieseV., BruzziP.: No standard treatment is available for advanced pancreatic cancer.Eur. J. Cancer,6: 882–887, 1995.
12.
MallinsonC.N., RakeM.O., CockingJ.B., FoxC.A., CwynarskiM.T., DiffeyB.L., JacksonG.A., HanleyJ., WassV.J.: Chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer: results of a controlled, prospective, randomised, multicentre trial.Br. Med. J.,281: 1589–1591, 1980.
13.
Moller JensenO., EstèveJ., MollerH., RenardH.: Cancer in the European Community and its member states.Eur. J. Cancer,26: 1176–1256, 1990.
14.
MooreM.: Activity of gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma.A review. Cancer,78: 633–638, 1996.
15.
OsterM.W., GrayR., PanasciL., PerryM.C.: Chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer: a comparison of 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, mitomycin (FAM) with 5-fluorouracil, streptozotocin, mitomycin (FSM).Cancer,57: 29–33, 1986.
16.
PalmerK.R., KerrM., KnowlesG., CullA., CarterD.C., LeonardR.C.: Chemotherapy prolongs survival in inoperable pancreatic carcinoma.Br. J. Surg.,81: 882–885, 1994.
17.
ParkerS.L., TongT., BoldS., WingoP.A.: Cancer statistics, 1997.CA Cancer Clin.,47: 5–27, 1997.
18.
PopescuR.A., CunninghamD.: Chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer. Some light at the end of the tunnel? Ann.Oncol.,8: 415–416, 1997.
19.
RothenbergL.M.: Abbruzzese J.L., Moore M., Portenoy R.K., Robertson J.M., Wanebo H.J.: A rationale for expanding the end points for clinical trials in advanced pancreatic carcinoma.Cancer,78: 627–632, 1996.
20.
RothenbergL.M., MooreM.J., CrippsM.C., AndersenJ.S., PortenoyR.K., BurrisH.A., GreenM.R., TarasoffP.G., BrownT.D., CasperE.S., StornioloA.M., Von HoffD.D.: A phase II trial of gemcitabine in patients with 5FU-refractory pancreas cancer.Ann. Oncol.,7: 347–353, 1996.
21.
RothmanH., CantrellJ.E., LokichJ., DifinoS., HarveyJ., AhlgrenJ.: Continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil plus weekly cisplatin for pancreatic carcinoma. A Mid-Atlantic Oncology Program study.Cancer,68: 264–268, 1991.
22.
RougierP., De ForniM., AdenisA., DucreauxM., DjazouliK., AdamsD., BonnterreJ., ClouetP., BlancC., BayssasM., ArmandJ.P.: Phase II study of taxotere in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Abstract).Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol.,13: 200, 1994.
23.
ScherM.N., KosierowskiR., LuschC., AlexanderR., FoxS., RediI., GreenF., RaskayB., AmfohK., EngstromP.F., O'DwyerP.J.: Phase II trial of topotecan in advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.Invest. New Drugs,13: 347–354, 1996.
24.
SchnallS., MacDonaldJ.S.: Chemotherapy of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.Semin. Oncol.,23: 220–228, 1996.
25.
TaylorI.: Should further studies of chemotherapy be carried out in pancreatic cancer? Eur.J. Cancer,29: 1076–1078, 1993.
26.
TianE., ArdalanB., BenedettoP., FeunL., MorreiL., WaldanS.: A phase II study of a short-term protracted infusion of high dose 5-fluorouracil (FU) with leucovorin (LV) and low dose N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartic acid (PALA) in pancreatic carcinoma (Abstract).Proc. Am. Soc. Clin. Oncol.,11: 184, 1992.
27.
WagenerD.J.T., VerdonkH.E.R., DirixL.Y., CatimelG., SiegenthalerP., BuitenhuisM., Mathieu-BouèA., VerweijJ.: Phase 11 trial of CPT11 in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, an EORTC early clinical trial group study.Ann. Oncol.6: 129–132, 1995.
28.
WarshawA.L., Fernandez Del CastilloC.: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma.N. Engl. J. Med.,326: 455–465, 1992.
29.
WhiteheadR.P., JacobsonJ., BrownT.D., TaylorS.A., WeissG.F., MacDonaldJ.S.: Phase II trial of paclitaxel and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in patients with pancreatic carcinoma. A Southwest Oncology Group study.J. Clin. Oncol.,15: 2414–2419, 1997.
30.
WilsJ.A., KokT., WagenerD.J.T., SelleslagsJ., DuezN.: Activity of cisplatin in adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.Eur. J. Cancer,2: 203–204, 1993.
