Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy of gemcitabine (G) alone versus gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) in the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer. METHODS: In ninety-nine patients with a histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer from April 2005 to December 2015, factors affecting progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (clinicopathological features, treatments, basal tumor markers, serum albumin, creatinine and bilirubin levels) were retrospectively evaluated.

METHODS

In ninety-nine patients with a histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer from April 2005 to December 2015, factors affecting progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (clinicopathological features, treatments, basal tumor markers, serum albumin, creatinine and bilirubin levels) were retrospectively evaluated.

RESULTS

Response evaluations were performed in 99 patients (74 patients for GP group, 25 patients for G group) who received three cycles and more chemotherapy (CT). When the groups were compared in terms of their demographic characteristics, the patients in the group receiving GP were younger with a better performance status and had less comorbid disease. About 41.4% of the patients received second line CT after progression (28.0% in the G group, 45.9% in the GP group). The median OS was 8.3 months in the GP group and 6.0 months in the G group (P=0.13). The median PFS was 5.1 months in the GP group and 3.9 months in the G group (P=0.01). In multivariate analysis, combination CT was associated with longer PFS (5.1 vs. 3.9 months). Patients with a good performance status (8.3 vs. 6.3 months), and those who received second-line CT (12.1 vs. 5.9 months ) were associated with longer OS.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Compared with G, GP significantly improved PFS without any significant difference in OS. Patients with a good performance status and those receiving second-line CT had longer median OS.