A Case of an Elderly Patient with Multiple Lung Metastases of Postoperative Pancreatic Cancer in Whom Lung Metastases Were Controlled by Biweekly Dose-Down Administration of Gemcitabine
Iwata, T.; Ando, K.; Mishima, H.
Gan to Kagaku Ryoho. Cancer and ChemoTherapy 46(9): 1453-1455
2019
ISSN/ISBN: 0385-0684 PMID: 31530789 Document Number: 698339
An 80-year-old woman was diagnosed with pancreatic head cancer, and pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed. Twelve months after the operation, chest CT scans showed the presence ofmultiple nodules in both the lungs. Because ofthe potential negative side effects of anti-cancer drugs, the patient underwent chemotherapy with dose-down biweekly adminis- tration ofgemcitabine (1,000mg/day/body≒750mg/m2. Chest CT examination every 2-3 months revealed no rapid increase in multiple tumors. Nineteen months after starting gemcitabine therapy, there was an elevation in tumor marker and a gradual increase in lung metastases. We performed combination chemotherapy with nab-paclitaxel. However, owing to side effects, only 2 courses of nab-paclitaxel were administered, and the therapy was switched to only gemcitabine administration. Later, respiratory distress accompanied by pleural effusion developed, and the patient died of the original disease 27 months after recurrence. Here, we report a case ofan elderly patient with multiple lung metastases ofpancreatic cancer in whom lung metastases were controlled by biweekly dose-down administration of gemcitabine.