[Results of gemcitabine hydrochloride in the treatment for pancreatic cancer]

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer has extremely poor prognosis. However no satisfactory effective chemotherapy for this cancer has been established. Gemcitabine hydrochloride, a novel anti-tumor agent, had shown the remarkable clinical efficacy for pancreatic cancer. In April 2001, the indication for pancreatic cancer of this agent has been approved in Japan and it is expected to be widely and increasingly introduced for clinical use. This review summarizes the study results of gemcitabine mono-therapy for pancreatic cancer and discusses other possibility of the treatment by Gemcitabine with the reported data about its combination therapy with other anti-cancer drug or radiation.