Docetaxel plus gemcitabine or docetaxel plus cisplatin in advanced pancreatic carcinoma: randomized phase II study 40984 of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Gastrointestinal Group.

Purpose: To define the efficacy and toxicity of docetaxel plus gemcitabine or docetaxel plus cisplatin for advanced pancreatic carcinoma.

Patients And Methods: Chemotherapy-naive patients with measurable disease and WHO performance status less than 2 were randomly assigned to receive 21-day cycles of gemcitabine 800 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 plus docetaxel 85 mg/m2 on day 8 (arm A) or docetaxel 75 mg/m2 on day 1 plus cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on day 1 (arm B). Primary end points were tumor response and rate of febrile neutropenia grade.

The role of endoscopy in early postoperative haemorrhage.

Diagnostic as well as therapeutic endoscopy has a decisive role in management of early postoperative haemorrhage. Endoscopy combines easy access to the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract and application of an array of interventional tools. In near future, even the small bowel will be accessible for diagnostic and therapeutic measures due to the advent of double-balloon enteroscopy.