Adjuvant treatment of surgically resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third-leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. Surgical resection of early and localized disease provides the only chance for a cure; however, the majority of patients who have PDAC present with advanced disease that cannot be removed surgically. In the minority of patients who undergo surgical resection, there is a high rate of disease recurrence that eventually leads to death. The use of systemic therapy improves the outcome of patients who undergo surgery by targeting early micrometastatic disease. This review focuses on the medical management (both chemotherapy and radiation therapy) of surgically resectable pancreatic cancer, including the findings of recent practice-changing clinical trials that favor combination chemotherapy for adjuvant treatment and neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. The review also highlights important ongoing trials that aim to improve outcomes in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer.