Prognostic factors in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with intra-arterial chemotherapy

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the prognostic factors of a large group of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent the same regimen of intra-arterial chemotherapy.

Methods: 5-fluorouracil (1000 mg/m2), leucovorin (100 mg/m2), epirubicin (60 mg/m2), and carboplatin (300 mg/m2) were administered every 3 weeks into celiac axis (FLEC regimen). Kaplan-Meyer survival curve for univariate analysis and Cox regression model for multivariate one were used to determine factors predictive of survival.

Results: Data of 211 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who underwent FLEC regimen were analyzed. Eighty-nine had locally advanced disease, and 112 had distant metastases. Median overall survival was 9.2 months. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, pain reduction after treatment (< or =30% of baseline level vs >30%; overall survival, 7.6 vs 11.5 months), stage of disease (III vs IV; overall survival, 10.5 vs 6.6 months), and number of administered cycles (< or =3 vs >3; overall survival, 5.9 vs 12.3 months) were significant and independent predictors of survival.

Conclusions: Pain reduction, stage of disease, and number of administered cycles are independent prognostic factors of overall survival in a multivariate analysis of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer receiving FLEC regimen intra-arterially.