Neoadjuvant 5 Fluorouracil-Cisplatin Chemoradiation Effect on Survival in Patients with Resectable Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma: A Ten-Year Single Institution Experience

OBJECTIVES: It is the aim of this study to assess the outcome of patients who received neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil-cisplatin chemoradiation (CRT) for stage I/III pancreatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Eligible patients (n = 101) received radiation therapy (45 Gy) associated with continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil accompanied by a cisplatin bolus. RESULTS: Of the 102 patients enrolled in the study, 26 patients had progression of cancer during treatment and were deemed unresectable; 1 patient died during CRT of septic shock. Sixty-two of 75 remaining patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. The overall median survival of all 102 patients in the study was 17 months, with a 5-year survival of 10%. For patients who underwent resection, the median survival was 23 months. Correspondingly, the median survival was 11 months for the 40 unresected patients (p = 0.002). The 5-year survivals for resected and unresected patients were 18 and 0% (p = 0.01), respectively. A complete pathological response to neoadjuvant CRT was noted for 8 patients (13%). Margin and lymph node positivity was present in 5 (8%) and 15 (24%) patients, respectively. There was documented local recurrence in 8 (13%) and distant recurrence in 36 (58%) patients, with the liver being the most common site. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil-based CRT had a limited impact on survival but appeared to be associated with improved local control.