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Open-label trial on efficacy and security of treatment with gemcitabine and oral modulation with tegafur and levofolinic acid (GEMTG) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

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Abstract

Aim

Advanced pancreatic cancer has a bad prognosis, with a median overall survival (OS) no longer than 4–6 months. Since the end of last century, monotherapy with gemcitabine has remained the elective therapy, but new schedules are needed in order to improve these results. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of tegafur and levofolinic acid (LV) associated with gemcitabine, as well as its toxicity, progressionfree survival and OS in advanced pancreatic cancer.

Patients and methods

An open-label, multicentric, prospective, non-controlled trial was carried out on patients with advanced or disseminated pancreatic cancer. Gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 was administered on the 1st and 8th days of the cycle, tegafur 750 mg/m2/day for 21 consecutive days and LV 25 mg/day continuously, every 28 days, with a maximum of six cycles. The primary variable was tumour overall response rate (ORR). Secondarily, time to progression (TTP), OS and scheme toxicity were determined.

Results

Forty patients were recruited; the male/female ratio was 30:10, with a mean age of 61 years. Forty percent had a Karnofsky index of 90% or 100%. Only 11 patients (27%) completed the six cycles of treatment, but more than 50% received three or more cycles. Dose intensity was 89.56% for gemcitabine and 87.36% for tegafur. Efficacy ORR was 22.5% (CI 95%, 6–37%). TTP was 3.87 months (CI 95%, 2.1–5.6), time to treatment failure was 2.97 months (CI 95%, 2.43–4.67) and OS 6.3 months (CI 95%, 4–7). The chemotherapeutic combination was well accepted; most haematologic and non-haematologic toxicities were grade 1 or 2. The most prevalent grade 3/4 toxicities were asthenia (30%), liver biochemistry disorders (25%), diarrhoea (15%) and stomatitis (12%).

Conclusions

The administration of gemcitabine, associated with oral tegafur and leucovorin, has activity against advanced pancreatic cancer, with an adequate toxicity profile.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oncology Department, Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Parc Taulí, s/n, ES-08208, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain

    Carles Pericay Pijaume, Emma Dotor Navarro, Aleydis Pisa Gatell & Eugeni Saigí Grau

  2. Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain

    Pilar Escudero Emperador

  3. Oncology Department, Hospital Mutua de Terrassa, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain

    Román Bastús Piulats

  4. Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Arnau de Vilanova, Valencia, Spain

    Juan Manuel Campos Cervera

  5. Oncology Department, Hospital de Elda, Alicante, Spain

    Gaspar Esquerdo Galiana

  6. Oncology Department, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain

    Manuel Gallén Castillo

  7. Oncology Department, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Alfaro Gamero, Emma Dotor Navarro & Aleydis Pisa Gatell

  8. Oncology Department, Hospital Althaia, Manresa, Barcelona, Spain

    Inmaculada Guasch Jordán

Authors
  1. Carles Pericay Pijaume
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  2. Pilar Escudero Emperador
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  3. Román Bastús Piulats
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  6. Manuel Gallén Castillo
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  7. Jordi Alfaro Gamero
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  8. Emma Dotor Navarro
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  10. Inmaculada Guasch Jordán
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  11. Eugeni Saigí Grau
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Correspondence to Carles Pericay Pijaume.

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Pericay Pijaume, C., Escudero Emperador, P., Bastús Piulats, R. et al. Open-label trial on efficacy and security of treatment with gemcitabine and oral modulation with tegafur and levofolinic acid (GEMTG) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Clin Transl Oncol 13, 61–66 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-011-0618-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-011-0618-9

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