[Evaluation of intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy and radical pancreatectomy in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer].

This is a retrospective study to evaluate arterial infusion chemotherapy and resection for locally advanced pancreatic cancer involving retro-peritoneal organs or large vessels such as superior mesenteric artery or celiac trunks. Intra-arterial chemotherapy was performed for 19 patients, and 15 underwent pancreatectomy. Patients in the intra-arterial chemotherapy group could live 11 months out of the hospital, against 4 months in the resected cases (p < 0.05). The period of over 2nd degree in performance status was 11 months in the arterial chemotherapy group and 3 months in resected groups (p < 0.05). The survival rates were 53, 18 and 9% at 1, 2 and 3 years in the patients with arterial chemotherapy, respectively, against 22, 15 and 15% in the resected patients (p < 0.05). These results suggested that intra-arterial chemotherapy was significantly effective in prolonging the survival period with a better quality of life.