Feasibility of Combination Therapy with Nab-paclitaxel Plus Gemcitabine in Patients with Recurrent Pancreatic Cancer

Anticancer Res. 2018 Nov;38(11):6537-6542. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.13019.

Abstract

Background/aim: Nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine (nab-P+Gem) is one of most reliable and effective regimens for borderline or unresectable pancreatic cancer (PC). However, the feasibility and clinical benefits of this regimen have never been evaluated for patients with recurrent PC after pancreatectomy. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of combination therapy with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine (nab-P+Gem) for patients with recurrent PC.

Patients and methods: Twenty-two patients with recurrent PC received an intravenous infusion of nab-P (125 mg/m2) and Gem (1,000 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 4-week cycle. The primary end-point of this study was completion of the 4 cycles. The secondary end-points were the safety, efficacy, and disease control rate.

Results: The treatment completion rate of the 4 cycles was 90.9%. The objective response rate was 13.6% and the disease control rate was 63.6%. The median progression-free survival was 7.2 months. The most common grade 3 or higher hematological toxicity was neutropenia (72.7%). There was no treatment-related death. Furthermore, the chemotherapeutic effects varied with the time of recurrence.

Conclusion: Combination nab-P+Gem therapy was well-tolerated and effective in patients with recurrent PC.

Keywords: Nab-paclitaxel; gemcitabine; pancreatectomy; pancreatic cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Intravenous
  • Aged
  • Albumins / administration & dosage*
  • Albumins / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Deoxycytidine / administration & dosage
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Deoxycytidine / therapeutic use
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Gemcitabine
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / surgery
  • Paclitaxel / administration & dosage*
  • Paclitaxel / therapeutic use
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / surgery
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • 130-nm albumin-bound paclitaxel
  • Albumins
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Paclitaxel
  • Gemcitabine