Adjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer.

Although the morbidity and mortality of pancreatic resection for cancer has been remarkably reduced during the last 20 years, there has been little change in long-term survival. Based on experience in the treatment of locally unresectable but nonmetastatic pancreatic cancer, adjuvant therapies have been devised that do have an impact on survival. The number of pancreatic resections remains low, however. To increase the number of pancreatic resections that might be performed, phase II neoadjuvant trials are under way in several centers. Even if successful, they will have little effect on the proportion of patients with pancreatic cancer who are cured. New, innovative treatments must be explored.