Adjuvant Therapy for Surgically Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
- Author Affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- ADENOCARCINOMA
- DRUG THERAPY
- FLUOROURACIL
- GEMCITABINE
- PANCREATIC NEOPLASMS
- RADIOTHERAPY, ADJUVANT
- RADIOTHERAPY
In 2008, approximately 37 000 patients will be diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the United States, and most of these patients will succumb to this disease within the first year following diagnosis.1 Only approximately 7400 patients will have localized cancer, usually involving the head of the pancreas, and are candidates for surgery if the tumor is resectable, as defined by the absence of vascular involvement.2 Such patients are candidates for complete resection of the primary cancer. The prognostic significance of an incomplete resection is well-defined (ie, the survival duration of those who undergo an incomplete [R1] resection is on average shorter than that of patients achieving a complete [R0] resection and in some series is no different than the survival of patients with locally advanced stage III disease who receive chemoradiation without surgery, chemotherapy, or both).3,4 With optimal patient selection, improved surgical techniques, and modern perioperative …
