Recent updates on the role of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

Single-agent gemcitabine remains the standard treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer. Recent phase III trials have failed to show improvements in survival using gemcitabine in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, although the gemcitabine/oxaliplatin combination has shown some promise. The combination of gemcitabine with erlotinib was associated with a significant prolongation of survival. Promising results in a phase II trial of gemcitabine in combination with bevacizumab have led to a randomized comparative trial of the combination. Potential combinations with other biologic agents are being investigated.