Definitive chemoradiation therapy with capecitabine in locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Anticancer Drugs. 2010 Jan;21(1):107-12. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0b013e328332a7fc.

Abstract

We evaluated safety and efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with capecitabine in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Between January 2004 and January 2008, 39 patients with LAPC treated with capecitabine CCRT were reviewed. Capecitabine was administered at 850 mg/m twice daily every day with 5 days per week radiotherapy (1.8 Gy fractions) over the 5 weeks. Thirty-seven (94.8%) patients completed CCRT. Of the 36 evaluable patients, 15 (41.7%) and 13 (36.1%) patients achieved partial response and stable disease, and eight (28.6%) among them received gemcitabine-based post-CCRT chemotherapy without dose reduction or delay. The overall survival was 14.3 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 10.6-17.9 months]. Median progression-free survival was 11.1 months for all patients, and 7.9 months for those patients who had not received post-CCRT chemotherapy. Eight patients (21.6%) had severe grade 3 toxicities, seven (18.9%) with gastrointestinal toxicity, and one (2.7%) with hematologic toxicity. Prognostic factors for survival were serum albumin (P = 0.014; relative risk: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.4-9.7), and adjuvant gemcitabine treatment (P=0.005; relative risk: 3.5; 95% CI: 1.2-10.6). Combined therapy with capecitabine CCRT was well tolerated and seems to be a promising regimen, in terms of response, survival, and adverse effects.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / administration & dosage
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / adverse effects
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / therapeutic use*
  • Capecitabine
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Deoxycytidine / administration & dosage
  • Deoxycytidine / adverse effects
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Deoxycytidine / therapeutic use
  • Disease Progression
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / administration & dosage
  • Fluorouracil / adverse effects
  • Fluorouracil / analogs & derivatives*
  • Fluorouracil / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Radiotherapy Dosage

Substances

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Capecitabine
  • Fluorouracil