Gemcitabine Plus Nab-Paclitaxel Versus FOLFIRINOX in Locally Advanced, Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Multicenter Observational Study (NAPOLEON Study)

Evaluation of the Treatment Duration of Japanese Patients With Pancreatic Cancer in a Real-World Setting Using a Large Hospital Claims Database: The SUISEI Study

OBJECTIVES

To clarify the treatment reality of pancreatic cancer in Japan, focusing on treatment duration and time to death.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed Japanese hospital claims data for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer between April 2009 and October 2018 to investigate treatment patterns, duration of first-line chemotherapy, and time to death.

RESULTS

Of 81,185 eligible patients, 54.2% were male, the mean age was 71.7 years, and 23.3% (n = 18,884) received chemotherapy as primary treatment. The median treatment duration was 14.1 weeks for the 6.7% of patients who received oxaliplatin, irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin (FOLFIRINOX; recommended first-line regimen) and 16.9 weeks for the 30.2% of patients who received gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GEM + nab-PTX). Time to death for patients who received FOLFIRINOX or GEM + nab-PTX was similar (15.4 and 14.8 months, respectively). The duration of first-line chemotherapy regimens tended to increase annually for both regimens. The time to death for all first-line chemotherapy regimens also increased annually.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the treatment reality of pancreatic cancer in the real-world Japanese setting. Treatment duration and time to death tended to increase over time and did not differ numerically between FOLFIRINOX and GEM + nab-PTX.

A novel multidrug-resistant cell line from a Chinese patient with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Chemotherapy resistance poses clinical challenges in pancreatic cancer treatment. Developing cell lines resistant to chemotherapy is crucial for investigating drug resistance mechanisms and identifying alternative treatment pathways. The genetic and biological attributes of pancreatic cancer depend on its aetiology, racial demographics and anatomical origin, underscoring the need for models that comprehensively represent these characteristics. Here, we introduce PDAC-X2, a pancreatic cancer cell line derived from Chinese patients. We conducted a comprehensive analysis encompassing the immune phenotype, biology, genetics, molecular characteristics and tumorigenicity of the cell line. PDAC-X2 cells displayed epithelial morphology and expressed cell markers (CK7 and CK19) alongside other markers (E-cadherin, Vimentin, Ki-67, CEA and CA19-9). The population doubling time averaged around 69 h. In vivo, PDAC-X2 cells consistently maintained their tumorigenicity, achieving a 100% tumour formation rate. Characterised by a predominantly tetraploid karyotype, this cell line exhibited a complex genetic markup. Notably, PDAC-X2 cells demonstrated resistance to multiple drugs, including gemcitabine, paclitaxel, 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. In conclusion, PDAC-X2 presents an invaluable preclinical model. Its utility lies in facilitating the study of drug resistance mechanisms and the exploration of alternative therapeutic approaches aimed at enhancing the prognosis of this tumour type.

Initial chemotherapy option for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in patients with adequate performance status

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly progressive lethal malignancy, with chemotherapy being the primary treatment modality. This article provides a review of the initial chemotherapy options for PDAC patients with adequate performance status, comparing FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin, irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin) or modified FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GEM-NabP) regimens. The availability of limited evidence from randomized trials restricts a direct comparison between the 2 regimens. Based on our review, (m)FOLFIRINOX yields superior survival outcomes compared to GEM-NabP in metastatic PDAC. For locally advanced PDAC, either (m)FOLFIRINOX or GEM-NabP can be considered initial chemotherapy. In the neoadjuvant setting for borderline resectable PDAC, both regimens have demonstrated promising results in achieving feasible resection rates. However, mFOLFIRINOX remains the preferred choice for adjuvant chemotherapy. The selection of initial chemotherapy for PDAC depends on the disease stage, patients’ performance status, and tumor molecular alterations. Further research and clinical trials are necessary to optimize treatment approaches for PDAC patients.

Folfirinox vs. Gemcitabine + Nab-Paclitaxel as the First-Line Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

The efficacy and safety of Folfirinox (FFX) or gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (GnP) to be used as the first-line drugs for pancreatic cancer (PC) is yet to be established. We conducted an analysis of retrospective studies to assess the efficacy and safety of these two regimens by comparing their survival and safety outcomes in patients with PC.

Methods

We conducted an extensive review of two electronic databases from inception till February 2023 to include all the relevant studies that compared FFX with GnP published and unpublished work. Retrospective studies were only included. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were pooled using hazard ratios (HRs), while objective response rate (ORR) and safety outcomes were pooled using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using the random effects model.

Results

A total of 7,030 patients were identified in a total of 21 articles that were shortlisted. Pooled results concluded that neither FFX nor GnP was associated to increase the OS time (HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.83 - 1.04; P = 0.0001); however, FFX was more likely associated with increased PFS when compared to GnP (HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81 - 0.97; P < 0.0001). ORR proved to be non-significant between the two regimens (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.64 - 1.27; P = 0.15). Safety outcomes included neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia and diarrhea. GnP was more associated with diarrhea (OR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.22 - 3.15; P = 0.001), while FFX was seen to cause anemia (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.51 - 0.98; P = 0.10) in PC patients. Neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were in-significant in the two drug regimens (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.92 - 1.31; P = 0.33 and OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.60 - 1.13; P = 0.23, respectively).

Conclusion

FFX and GnP showed a significant difference in increasing the PFS, while no difference was observed while measuring OS. Safety outcomes showed that FFX and GnP shared similar safety profiles as FFX was associated with hematological outcomes, while GnP was more associated with non-hematological outcomes.

Clinical impact of multimodal treatment including chemoradiotherapy, conversion surgery and postoperative chemotherapy for borderline resectable and unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer without disease progression after gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to investigate treatment outcomes of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) using S-1 with or without conversion surgery after gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) for borderline resectable (BR) and unresectable locally advanced (UR-LA) pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

From 2016 to 2020, patients without disease progression after GnP for BR or UR-LA pancreatic cancer underwent CRT with S-1. If distant metastasis was not detected after CRT, conversion surgery and oral administration of S-1 as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for at least 6 months was performed.

RESULTS

Forty patients were included in the present study. The median number of cycles of GnP was 6. Surgery was performed after CRT in 25 patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) periods from the start of radiotherapy were 24.6 and 27.4 months, respectively. The OS periods from the start of radiotherapy in patients who underwent conversion surgery and those who did not undergo conversion surgery were 41.3 and 16.8 months, respectively. The PFS periods from the start of radiotherapy in patients who underwent surgery and those who did not undergo surgery were 28.3 and 8.6 months, respectively. Patients who were able to receive S-1 after conversion surgery for more than 6 months had better OS than those who were not (p = 0.039), although there was no significant difference of PFS (p = 0.365).

CONCLUSIONS

In BR/UR-LA pancreatic cancer without disease progression after GnP, multimodal treatment including CRT, conversion surgery and the scheduled postoperative chemotherapy may be effective.

Chronic effects of pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound aided delivery of gemcitabine in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer

Pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound (pHIFU) is a non-invasive method that allows to permeabilize pancreatic tumors through inertial cavitation and thereby increase the concentration of systemically administered drug. In this study the tolerability of weekly pHIFU-aided administrations of gemcitabine (gem) and their influence on tumor progression and immune microenvironment were investigated in genetically engineered KrasLSL.G12D/þ; p53R172H/þ; PdxCretg/þ (KPC) mouse model of spontaneously occurring pancreatic tumors. KPC mice were enrolled in the study when the tumor size reached 4-6 mm and treated once a week with either ultrasound-guided pHIFU (1.5 MHz transducer, 1 ms pulses, 1% duty cycle, peak negative pressure 16.5 MPa) followed by administration of gem (n = 9), gem only (n = 5) or no treatment (n = 8). Tumor progression was followed by ultrasound imaging until the study endpoint (tumor size reaching 1 cm), whereupon the excised tumors were analyzed by histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and gene expression profiling (Nanostring PanCancer Immune Profiling panel). The pHIFU + gem treatments were well tolerated; the pHIFU-treated region of the tumor turned hypoechoic immediately following treatment in all mice, and this effect persisted throughout the observation period (2-5 weeks) and corresponded to areas of cell death, according to histology and IHC. Enhanced labeling by Granzyme-B was observed within and adjacent to the pHIFU treated area, but not in the non-treated tumor tissue; no difference in CD8 + staining was observed between the treatment groups. Gene expression analysis showed that the pHIFU + gem combination treatment lead to significant downregulation of 162 genes related to immunosuppression, tumorigenesis, and chemoresistance vs gem only treatment.

Scoring model with serum albumin and CA19-9 for metastatic pancreatic cancer in second-line treatment: results from the NAPOLEON study

BACKGROUND

Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer refractory to first-line chemotherapy (CTx) have few treatment options. It is unclear what kind of patients could be brought about survival benefit by 2nd-line CTx after refractory to gemcitabine + nab-PTX (GnP) or FOLFIRINOX.

METHODS

This analysis was conducted as part of a multicenter retrospective study of GnP or FOLFIRINOX in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Excluding censored cases, 156 and 77 patients, respectively, received second-line chemotherapy (CTx) and best supportive care (BSC). Using prognostic factors for post-discontinuation survivals (PDSs) at the first-line determination in multivariate analysis, we developed a scoring system to demonstrate the benefit of second-line CTx.

RESULTS

The second-line CTx group had a median PDS of 5.2 months, whereas the BSC group had a median PDS of 2.7 months (hazard ratio 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31-0.57; p < 0.01). According to the Cox regression model, serum albumin levels below 3.5 g/dL, and CA19-9 levels above 1000 U/mL were independent prognostic factors (p < 0.01). Serum albumin (≥ and < 3.5 g/dL allotted to scores 0 and 1) and CA19-9 (< and ≥ 1000 U/mL allotted to scores 0 and 1) at first-line determination were used to develop the scoring system. The PDSs of patients with scores of 0 and 1 were significantly better than those of the BSC group; however, there was no significant difference between the PDSs of patients with score 2 and the BSC group.

CONCLUSION

The survival advantage of second-line CTx, was observed in patients with scores of 0 and 1 but not in those with score 2.

A case of successful conversion surgery for locally advanced pancreatic cancer with synchronous triple cancer of the lung and esophagus: a case report

Background

The number of reports of multiple primary cancer (MPC) is increasing because of the advancement in diagnostic imaging technology. However, the treatment strategy for MPCs involving pancreatic cancer is controversial because of the extremely poor prognosis. We herein report a patient with synchronous triple cancer involving the pancreas, esophagus, and lung who underwent conversion surgery after intensive chemotherapy for unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Case presentation

A 59-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with epigastric pain, anorexia, and weight loss. Computed tomography and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed that the patient had synchronous triple cancer of the pancreas, esophagus, and lung. While the esophageal and lung cancer were relatively non-progressive, the pancreatic tail cancer had invaded the aorta, celiac axis, and left kidney, and the patient was diagnosed with unresectable locally advanced disease. Because the described lesion could have been the prognostic determinant for this patient, we initiated intensive chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel) for pancreatic cancer. After six courses of chemotherapy, the tumor size shrank remarkably and no invasion to the aorta or celiac axis was observed. No significant changes were observed in the esophageal and lung cancers; endoscopic submucosal dissection could be still a curative treatment for the esophageal cancer. Therefore, we performed curative resection for pancreatic cancer (distal pancreatomy, splenectomy, and left nephrectomy; ypT3N0cM0, ypStage IIA, UICC 8th). Pathologically, complete resection was achieved. The patient then underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection for early esophageal cancer (pT1a[M]-LPM) and video-assisted thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy in combination with right lower partial resection for early lung cancer (pT2aN0M0, pStage IB, UICC 8th). Eight months after pancreatic cancer surgery, the patient is alive and has no sign of recurrence; as a result of the successful treatment, the patient has a good quality of life.

Conclusions

Treatment of MPC is challenging, especially for cases with unresectable tumors. Although synchronous triple cancer can involve unresectable pancreatic cancer, radical resection may be possible after careful assessment of the appropriate treatment strategy and downstaging of unresectable tumors.