Preoperative chemoradiotherapy does not compromise the feasibility of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a novel, emerging treatment strategy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but it remains unclear whether post-surgery adjuvant chemotherapy is feasible following preoperative CRT. This retrospective study evaluates the feasibility of adjuvant therapy after preoperative CRT.

METHODS: The subjects of this study were 99 consecutive patients who underwent pancreatectomy for PDAC between January, 2007 and February, 2013 in our hospital. Sixty patients received preoperative CRT: as gemcitabine (GEM) and 40 Gy radiation in 28 (G-CRT group), and as GEM, S-1, and 50.4 Gy radiation in 32 (GS-CRT group). We also evaluated 39 patients who underwent surgery alone (SA group). We investigated adjuvant chemotherapy induction and completion rates and the frequency of adverse events rated ≥grade 3, based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 4.0) in all three groups.

RESULTS: In the G-CRT, GS-CRT, and SA groups, the induction rates were 78 % (22/28), 78 % (25/32), and 72 % (28/39), respectively; completion rates were 86 % (19/22), 88 % (22/25), and 82 % (23/28), respectively; and adverse event frequencies were 36 % (8/22), 28 % (7/25), and 43 % (12/28), respectively. No significant difference was found among the three groups.

CONCLUSION: Preoperative CRT was demonstrated to be safe and did not compromise the feasibility of adjuvant chemotherapy.