A phase II study of weekly cisplatin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: is this a strategy still worth pursuing?

Objectives: A phase 2 study to assess the activity of the cisplatin-gemcitabine combination in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Methods: Chemotherapy-naive patients with locally advanced/metastatic/relapsed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas received cisplatin 25 mg/m2 followed by gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Radiologic response was assessed after 3 cycles, and treatment continued for up to 6 cycles in the absence of disease progression.