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Review
. 2016 Mar;12(5):669-85.
doi: 10.2217/fon.15.335. Epub 2016 Feb 1.

The role of neoadjuvant therapy in pancreatic cancer: a review

Suzanne Russo  1 , John Ammori  2 , Jennifer Eads  3 , Jennifer Dorth  1
Affiliations
Review

The role of neoadjuvant therapy in pancreatic cancer: a review

Suzanne Russo et al. Future Oncol. 2016 Mar.

Abstract

Controversy remains regarding neoadjuvant approaches in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Neoadjuvant therapy has several potential advantages over adjuvant therapy including earlier delivery of systemic treatment, in vivo assessment of response, increased resectability rate in borderline resectable patients and increased margin-negative resection rate. At present, there are no randomized data favoring neoadjuvant over adjuvant therapy and multiple neoadjuvant approaches are under investigation. Combination chemotherapy regimens including 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan and oxaliplatin, gemcitabine with or without abraxane, or docetaxel and capecitabine have been used in the neoadjuvant setting. Radiation and chemoradiation have also been incorporated into neoadjuvant strategies, and delivery of alternative fractionation regimens is being explored. This review provides an overview of neoadjuvant therapies for pancreatic cancer.

Keywords: 5-fluorouracil; abraxane; capecitabine; chemotherapy; docetaxel; gemcitabine; irinotecan; oxaliplatin; pancreatic cancer; radiation; surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

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