Radiation plus docetaxel and cisplatin in locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma: a non-comparative randomized phase II trial.

Background: We performed a randomized, non-comparative phase II study evaluating docetaxel in combination with either daily continuous (protracted IV) 5-fluorouracil or cisplatin administered weekly, concurrent to radiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma. Results of the docetaxel plus cisplatin regimen are reported.

Methods: Forty chemotherapy-naive patients with locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma were randomly assigned to receive 5-fluorouracil and docetaxel or docetaxel 20mg/m(2) and cisplatin 20mg/m(2)/week, plus concurrent radiotherapy for 6 weeks. The radiation dose to the primary tumour was 54Gy in 30 fractions. The trial's primary endpoint was the 6-month crude non-progression rate.

Results: 51 patients from 7 centres were included in the docetaxel-cisplatin treatment group. Six-month non-progression rate was 39% (95% confidence interval: 26-53). Median overall survival was 9.6 months (95% confidence interval: 2.4-60.7); 6 complete and 8 partial responses were obtained. Six patients survived more than 2 years after their inclusion in the trial. Grade ≥3 toxicity was reported in 63% of patients; no treatment-related death occurred. Severe toxicities were mainly anorexia (22%), vomiting (20%) and fatigue (24%).

Conclusions: Despite inadequate efficacy according to the main end point, this regimen gave a satisfactory rate of objective response (27%) with tolerable toxicity.