Clinicopathologic analysis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in African Americans and Caucasians.

Introduction: African Americans have a higher incidence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma than do Caucasians for unknown reasons. Whether other clinicopathologic differences exist between these two groups is not known. This study was undertaken to compare the clinical, pathologic, and biologic findings for a group of patients with a histologic diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma of the usual type in a single institution.

Phase II study of gemcitabine and cisplatin in the treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma.

Background: Pancreatic carcinoma is considered among the most chemoresistant of human malignancies. The most commonly used cytotoxic single agents, 5-fluorouracil and 2'-deoxy-2',2'-difluorocytidine (gemcitabine), have objective response rates of less than 10% in large studies. Hypothesizing noncross resistance and a synergistic interaction between gemcitabine and cisplatin, early clinical studies have demonstrated significant activity with this combination in patients with several types of malignant disease.

A phase II trial of bryostatin 1 in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Current chemotherapy for patients with advanced colorectal cancer is relatively ineffective and may be associated with significant toxicity. Bryostatin 1 (bryo 1) influences cell proliferation, intracellular metabolism and signaling, differentiation, and apoptosis in human cancer cell lines via modulation of protein kinase C (PKC) activity. This trial investigates the efficacy and toxicity of bryo 1 as a novel therapeutic agent for patients with advanced colorectal cancer who have had previous 5-fluorouracil therapy.

Cisplatin, cytarabine, caffeine, and continuously infused 5-fluorouracil (PACE) in the treatment of advanced pancreatic carcinoma: a phase II study.

Encouraging results using cisplatin, cytarabine, and caffeine for the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma prompted a phase II study using these agents and adding continuous intravenous infusion (CI) 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (PACE). Patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma who had not received prior cytotoxic therapy were eligible. Treatment consisted of the following: on day 1, the administration of cisplatin 100 mg/m2 IV, cytarabine 2 g/m2 IV every 12 hours x 2 doses, and caffeine 400 mg/m2 subcutaneously after each cytarabine dose; and on days 3 to 21, 5-FU 250 mg/m2/day given by CI.

Gemcitabine and UFT plus oral calcium folinate: phase I study.

Gemcitabine (Gemzar) is a nucleoside analog increasingly used in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors. DNA synthesis is inhibited by gemcitabine by masked chain termination and via inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase. Synergy may exist between gemcitabine and other antimetabolites, including 5-fluorouracil.