An outpatient with unresectable pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine showing prolonged NC (22 months)
Koizumi, M.; Sata, N.; Shimura, K.; Tsukahara, M.; Yoshizawa, K.; Kurihara, K.; Hyodo, M.; Yasuda, Y.; Nagai, H.
Gan to Kagaku Ryoho. Cancer and ChemoTherapy 32(13): 2133-2136
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0385-0684 PMID: 16352944 Document Number: 587292
A 76-year-old man developed jaundice and was hospitalized in January 2002. A 3 cm tumor was found in the head of the pancreas by abdominal CT, and the patient underwent laparotomy. The tumor was histologically diagnosed as a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, and showed extensive invasion to the portal vein (T4NXM 0 Stage IV a). Incisional biopsy and hepaticojejunostomy were performed. On the basis of a drug sensitivity test, chemotherapy with 800 mg/m2/week gemcitabine was administered. The patient showed prolonged NC without any symptoms for 22 months, although the CEA and DUPAN-2 levels gradually increased during this time and massive ascites were detected in a routine abdominal CT at 22 months postsurgery. The patient died after 25 months of chemotherapy. Here we report a case of unresectable pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine on the basis of a drug sensitivity test.