RESUMO
BACKGRUOUND: Despite recent advances in first-line chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer, standard treatment after the failure of initial chemotherapy has not been established. Hence, we aimed to retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of second-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical data of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who underwent palliative chemotherapy at Kosin University Gospel Hospital between January 2013 and October 2020. RESULTS: Among 366 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who had received palliative chemotherapy, 104 (28.4%) underwent at least one cycle of second-line chemotherapy. The median age of the patients at the time of initiating second-line treatment was 62 years (interquartile range, 57-62 years), and 58.7% (61 patients) of them were male. The common second-line chemotherapy regimens were 5-fluorouracil (FU) plus leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (33 patients, 31.7%); gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (29, 27.9%), gemcitabine±erlotinib (13, 12.5%); and oxaliplatin and 5-FU/leucovorin (12, 11.5%). The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival were 6.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5-8.6 months) and 4.5 months (95% CI, 2.7-6.3 months), respectively. In a multivariate analysis, poor performance status (PS) (hazard ratio [HR], 2.247; p=0.021), metastatic disease (HR, 2.745; p=0.011), and elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels (HR, 1.939; p=0.030) at the beginning of second-line chemotherapy were associated with poor OS. CONCLUSION: The survival outcome of second-line chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer remains poor. However, PS, disease extent (locally advanced or metastatic), and CEA level may help determine patients who could benefit from second-line treatment.
RESUMO
Backgrounds/Aims: The molecular underpinnings of colorectal cancer (CRC) vary according to the tumor location. The advantages of a palliative primary tumor resection in patients with metastatic CRC are controversial. This study examined the survival outcomes of a palliative primary tumor resection based on the tumor location in patients with metastatic CRC. Methods: The medical records of 600 patients diagnosed with metastatic CRC between January 2000 and June 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients undergoing surgery for both the primary tumor and metastatic lesions were excluded. The clinical factors affecting the long-term outcomes were evaluated according to the primary tumor location, and the long-term survival was compared between patients with and without a palliative primary tumor resection. The data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and multivariate Cox regression models. Results: The median follow-up duration was 18 months (interquartile range, 10-28). Patients with right-sided CRC had a poor overall- and progression-free survival compared to those with left-sided CRC. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, the palliative primary tumor resection was an independent prognostic factor predicting better overall survival in patients with metastatic CRC, regardless of the primary tumor location. Conclusions: The primary tumor location influences the prognosis, and that a primary tumor resection can improve the overall survival in patients with metastatic CRC, regardless of the primary tumor location.
