Background Despite recent advances in first-line chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer, standard treatment after the failure of initial chemotherapy has not been established. Hence, we aimed to retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of second-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Methods We reviewed the clinical data of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who underwent palliative chemotherapy at Kosin University Gospel Hospital between January 2013 and October 2020.
Results Among 366 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who had received palliative chemotherapy, 104 (28.4%) underwent at least one cycle of second-line chemotherapy. The median age of the patients at the time of initiating second-line treatment was 62 years (interquartile range, 57–62 years), and 58.7% (61 patients) of them were male. The common second-line chemotherapy regimens were 5-fluorouracil (FU) plus leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (33 patients, 31.7%); gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (29, 27.9%), gemcitabine±erlotinib (13, 12.5%); and oxaliplatin and 5-FU/leucovorin (12, 11.5%). The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival were 6.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5–8.6 months) and 4.5 months (95% CI, 2.7–6.3 months), respectively. In a multivariate analysis, poor performance status (PS) (hazard ratio [HR], 2.247; p=0.021), metastatic disease (HR, 2.745; p=0.011), and elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels (HR, 1.939; p=0.030) at the beginning of second-line chemotherapy were associated with poor OS.
Conclusion The survival outcome of second-line chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer remains poor. However, PS, disease extent (locally advanced or metastatic), and CEA level may help determine patients who could benefit from second-line treatment.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Efficacy and tolerance of LV5FU2-carboplatin chemotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma after failure of standard regimens Thomas Chaigneau, Lina Aguilera Munoz, Caroline Oger, Clémence Gourdeau, Olivia Hentic, Lucie Laurent, Nelly Muller, Marco Dioguardi Burgio, Marie-Pauline Gagaille, Philippe Lévy, Vinciane Rebours, Pascal Hammel, Louis de Mestier Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Real-Life Results of Palliative Chemotherapy in Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Bianca Varzaru, Razvan A. Iacob, Adina E. Croitoru, Speranta M. Iacob, Cristina E. Radu, Stefania M. Dumitrescu, Cristian Gheorghe Cancers.2023; 15(13): 3500. CrossRef
BACKGROUND To evaluate the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel and cisplatin against advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a second-line chemotherapy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients were enrolled. The patients received 200 mg/m2 paclitaxel as a 3-hour intravenous infusion and 60 mg/m2 cisplatin as 30-minute intravenous infusion with vigorous hydration on day 1 every 28 days. The response was assessed every 2 cycles. RESULTS: All 25 patients were assessed for their response and toxicity. Partial responses were observed in 5 patients. The overall response rate was 20% (95% confidence interval, 4%~36%) and the median response duration was 4.5 (range, 2-11) months. The median time to progression was 3.3 (range, 0-14) months. The median overall survival of all patients was 7.4 (range, 1.3-39) months. The hematologic toxicities were minor and easily controlled. CONCLUSION: The combination chemotherapy of paclitaxel and cisplatin as a second-line treatment has a moderate efficacy with an acceptable toxicity in patients with advanced NSCLC.