The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of gemcitabine maintenance on progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with metastatic gallbladder cancer (GBC).  Sixty patients with unresectable or metastatic GBC having ongoing response to treatment with initial six cycles of gemcitabine and a platinum-based doublet chemotherapy were prospectively randomized on day 21 of the 6th cycle in 1:1 fashion to receive either maintenance gemcitabine 1 g/m intravenously on day 1 and day 8 of three weekly cycle or observation. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and comparisons by the log-rank test. A -value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.  Of 60 patients, a total of 56 were available for final analysis. The median PFS was 4.7 months (3.1-6.3) in gemcitabine arm and 2.6 months (2.4-2.8) in observation arm, hazard ratio (HR) 0.196 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.1-0.39), < 0.001. Median overall survival in gemcitabine arm was 12.4 months (9.15-15.6) as opposed to 9.9 months (8.29-11.5) in observation arm, HR 0.76 (95% CI: 0.43-1.35), = 0.354. The grade 3 or 4 side effects in maintenance arm were transaminitis (17.9%), thrombocytopenia (17.8%), neutropenia (14.2%), and febrile neutropenia (7.1%).  Maintenance gemcitabine therapy in unresectable/metastatic GBC patients responding to first-line gemcitabine and platinum treatment contributes to increase PFS with minimal and manageable side effects.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8197654PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1721216DOI Listing

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