ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the efficacy of 3D conformal radiotherapy for late-stage pancreatic cancer and determine relavent prognostic factors.Methods Fifty patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were divided into 3 groups according to treatment planning: palliative radiotherapy (group A) at 10.8-56 Gy, radiotherapy alone (group B) at 8-60.5 Gy and concurrent chemoradiother-apy (group C) at 10-64 Gy.All patients received 3D-conformal radiotherapy, and smaller multiple ports were used for palliative treatment whereas large fields including pancreatic tumors and adjacent lymph node drainage system were adopted in the beginning of radiotherapy.Concurrent chemotherapy with gemcitabine (200-600 mg/m~2) alone was used with weekly protocol.Results The duration of follow-up was 3-35 months.Forty three patients died during the follow-up for multiple metastasis, de-teriation, secondary infection and hemorrhage.Among the seven surviving patients, 3 received concur-rent radiotherapy, 3 radiotherapy alone and 1 palliative radiotherapy.Only 1 patient was alive in group A.However, the symtoms were relieved in 46% of the patients.The median survival time was 5.07 months whereas it was 4.33 months for patients received less than 45 Gy and 7.33 months for patients received 45 Gy or more.Three patients were alive in group B and the symptoms were relieved in 81% of the patients.The median survival time was 6.65 months whereas it was 4.36 months for patients received less than 45 Gy and 8.33 months for patients received 45 Gy or more.Three patients were a-live in group C and the symptoms were relieved in 89% of the patients.The median survival time was 9.89 months.One patient survived for 3 months after 8 Gy irradiation.The median survival time was 10.73 months for patients received 45 Gy or more.Conclusion 3D-conformal radiotherapy is safe and effective in treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.The symptom relieving rate and median survival time seem to be related to patient's status, extent of disease, choice of treatment and irradiation dos-age.3D-confromal concurrent chemoradiotherapy leads to the longest survival time in some patients.