Regional celiac artery infusion in the adjuvant treatment of pancreatic cancer.

UNLABELLED

We performed adjuvant celiac artery infusion in pancreatic cancer, to find out whether this treatment prolongs survival and changes the biology of the disease after resection, especially by reducing liver metastasis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-one patients received cyclic celiac artery infusions (CAI) after resection of their pancreatic cancer (27 ductal, 4 cystadenocarcinoma). The treatment consisted of 6 cycles (1 cycle = 5 days treatment) intra-arterial infusion using Seldingers technique with mitoxantrone A (Novantron) 10 mg/m2 d1, 5-fluorouracil + folinic acid 600 mg/m2 + 170 mg/m2 d2-d4 and cis-platinum 60 mg/m2 d5. Four to 5-week intervals between each cycle of chemotherapy were scheduled. The patients were monitored for toxicity, development of disease progression and survival.

RESULTS

The median survival time was 21 months. During an observation period of 19 months, 70% of the patients developed disease progression. In 50% of cases the progression was local, in 40% intraperitoneal while in 15% liver metastases developed. The median survival time of the CAI (celiac artery infusion)-treated patient group compared favorably to the median survival of 9.3 months in a matched historical control group, being significantly longer (p < 0.0003).

CONCLUSION

Adjuvant celiac artery infusion seemed to prolong median survival and the occurrence of liver metastases appeared to be delayed or reduced.