[Successful CPT-11 treatment in a patient with pancreatic cancer associated with multiple liver metastases and chronic renal failure].

A 56-year-old woman, who had been receiving treatment for chronic renal failure, was admitted to our Department because of a tumor of the pancreas head and multiple liver masses diagnosed by abdominal CT scans. Gastroduodenoscopy revealed a tumor which had invaded the Vater's papilla; the lesion was histopathologically pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Due to the presence of multiple metastases to the liver, we therefore performed general chemotherapy after obtaining the patient's informed consent (IC). CPT-11 was selected as the carcinostatic agent because the patient suffered from renal failure. The initial dose of CPT-11 was 80 mg, and we thereafter made minor adjustments in the dosage depending on the occurrence of side effects. After four courses of the treatment, a CT scan revealed both the tumor of the pancreas head and the multiple liver masses to have almost completely disappeared. Our clinical results indicate that CPT-11 may therefore be a strong candidate for first-line chemotherapy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, especially in patients with renal failure.