[Concomitant arterial infusion chemotherapy with tamoxifen therapy for hepatic metastases from pancreatic adenocarcinoma--a preliminary report].

The prognosis for hepatic metastasis from pancreatic adenocarcinoma is generally poor. Estrogen receptors have recently been demonstrated in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and it has been suggested that tamoxifen increases patient survival. We have tried tamoxifen therapy combined with intermittent intraarterial infusion chemotherapy using mainly 5-FU for 4 patients with hepatic metastasis from pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Clinical evaluation of initial response was available for these 4 patients. Although the number of the patients in this study was small, we obtained a response rate of 50%; CR in one case, PR in one case. No patients showed progressive disease (PD). Median survival period was 4.6 months; 3 of 4 patients died with carcinomatous peritonitis at 2.5 to 6 months from the initiation of the therapy. No severe complication was observed. It is believed that this new concomitant therapy is effective in controlling hepatic metastasis from pancreatic adenocarcinoma. But additional therapy for carcinomatous peritonitis, which often develops after achieving hepatic control, is necessary to achieve long-term survival benefit.