A phase II trial of two durations of Bevacizumab added to neoadjuvant gemcitabine for borderline and locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: We report the results of a phase II trial of adding the anti-ascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) bevacizumab to gemcitabine neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with borderline and unresectable non-metastatic pancreatic cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were assigned to one of the two treatment arms. Both groups received 1,000 mg/m(2) gemcitabine on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 4-week cycle for a total of four cycles. Group 1 received 5 mg/kg bevacizumab for six weeks (three doses), every second week, starting at week 6 of gemcitabine therapy. Group 2 received 5 mg/kg bevacizumab for 12 weeks (six doses), every second week, starting at week 1 of gemcitabine therapy. The objective of the present study was to assess the rate of complete radical resection and overall survival. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were enrolled: 19 patients had unresectable and 11 patients had borderline-resectable pancreatic cancer. Eleven patients (37%) underwent resection. The median overall survival of patients who underwent tumor resection was 13 months (95% confidence interval=11-15 months). CONCLUSION: In general, adding bevacizumab to neoadjuvant gemcitabine does not improve outcomes for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. However, in individual cases, surgery is consequently possible and prolonged survival may be observed.

NeoGemOx: Gemcitabine and oxaliplatin as neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced, nonmetastasized pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can facilitate pancreatic resection in patients with initially unresectable pancreatic cancer (PC). We report the results of a phase II trial of gemcitabine-oxaliplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced, nonmetastatic PC. METHODS: A prospective, phase II clinical trial using neoadjuvant chemotherapy, consisting of gemcitabine (900 mg/m(2)) and oxaliplatin (60 mg/m(2)) given as intravenous infusion once a week at day 1 of each treatment cycle (NeoGemOx protocol). Patients received 6-9 cycles of chemotherapy. Those patients with sufficient tumor regression subsequently underwent pancreatic resection and were followed postoperatively to assess long-term survival. RESULTS: A total of 33 patients were eligible and were included in the intent-to-treat and evaluable population. On centralized review of the imaging studies, 18 patients had unresectable disease at inclusion, and 15 patients had borderline resectable PC. Eventually, 13 patients (39%) had a curative resection after neoadjuvant therapy. The R0 resection rate was 69%. Median overall survival of patients who underwent tumor resection was 22 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 14-30) compared with 12 months (95% CI, 9-15) for those without resection (P = .046). The median recurrence-free survival rate after resection was 10 months (95% CI, 4-17). CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin is well tolerated and safe. Substantive tumor regression occurs in some patients with locally advanced PC treated with this neoadjuvant protocol, offering the potential for curative resection and improvement in overall survival. Additional studies involving the NeoGemOx protocol should be considered to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of this combination.