Activity of 5-fluorouracil, mitomycin C, and methyl CCNU in inoperable adenocarcinoma of pancreas.

Twenty-two patients with inoperable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), mitomycin C (Mito-C), and 1(-2-chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea (MeCCNU). Fifteen were evaluable by completing 2 months of therapy. Two patients achieved a complete remission with the above combination. A partial remission seen in four other patients, which produced a response rate of 40% of evaluable, and 27% of entered, patients. Three had stable disease. The average time to progression in this study was 8 months. This combination was well tolerated and no deaths were secondary to drug therapy. Mucositis, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and hyperpigmentation were the significant toxicities seen in this study. These observations are worthy of further investigation.