Meta-analysis on inoperable pancreatic cancer: a comparison between gemcitabine-based combination therapy and gemcitabine alone.

Aim: To compare gemcitabine-based combination therapy and gemcitabine (GEM) alone in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APCa) through meta-analysis.

Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE searches were supplemented by information from trial registers of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for GEM-based combination therapy and GEM alone for APCa. A quantitative meta-analysis was carried out by two reviewers based on the inclusion criteria from all available RCTs.