Adjuvant radiotherapy and concomitant 5-fluorouracil by protracted venous infusion for resected pancreatic cancer

Purpose: To assess the toxicity and clinical benefit from adjuvant chemoradiotherapy consisting of protracted venous infusion 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and concomitant radiotherapy in patients with resected pancreatic cancer.

Methods and Materials: Between 1994 and 1999, 52 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The tumor bed and regional nodes received a dose of 45 Gy in fractions of 1.8 Gy followed by boost to the tumor bed if the surgical margins were involved (total dose, 54 Gy). The patients also received concomitant 5-FU by protracted venous infusion (200–250 mg/m²/day, 7 days/week) during the entire radiotherapy course.

Results: Fifty-two patients (30 men, 22 women) were enrolled and treated on this protocol. The median age was 63 years (range, 38–78 years), and the median Karnofsky Performance Status was 80 (range, 70–100). Thirty-five percent had involved surgical margins and 59% had involved lymph nodes. All patients completed therapy, and there were no Grade IV/V toxicities observed. With median follow-up of 24 months (range, 3–52 months) for surviving patients, the median survival is 32 months, and 2-year and 3-year survivals are 62%, and 39%, respectively.

Conclusion: Radiotherapy with concomitant 5-FU by protracted venous infusion as adjuvant treatment for resected pancreatic cancer is well tolerated. This approach allows for greater dose intensity with reduced toxicity. The median survival of this cohort of patients compares favorably with our earlier experience and other published series.