| [ Summary ] |
The prognosis for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) remains dismal despite advances in chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As systemic therapy improves, local disease control will also become increasingly important because eradication of micrometastatic disease cannot lead to a cure without eradication of primary tumors. Chemoradiotherapy with 5-FU has been the primary treatment for LAPC based on results of previous randomized trials. However, the prognosis for these patients remains poor, with a reported median survival time of only approximately 10 months. Distant metastases were the main cause of treatment failure after chemoradiotherapy with 5-FU. A more effective systemic treatment may be effective in the control of distant metastases and subsequently prolong patient survival. Both gemcitabine and S-1 are effective in the treatment of pancreatic cancer and are potent radiosensitizers. The aim of this review is to discuss data from the available studies, both prospective and retrospective, which evaluate the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy with full-dose gemcitabine or S-1 in patients with LAPC. |