Onkologisk behandling af patienter med pancreascancer

Only radical resection can cure patients with pancreatic cancer (PC); however, adjuvant gemcitabine (GEM) doubles the postoperative five-year-survival. The best treatment of locally advanced PC is not established, but radio-chemotherapy followed by surgery may be considered. Fit patients with metastatic PC benefit from GEM, which is standard. The addition of the epidermal growth factor-receptor-inhibitor erlotinib prolongs median survival significantly by two weeks and one-year survival by 7%. Very fit patients might benefit by combining GEM with platinum or capecitabine, but evidence is not firm. Participation in clinical trials is strongly encouraged in PC.