Pancreatic cancer – current treatment options

03-2021

MUDr. Marián Liberko; doc. MUDr. Renata Soumarová, Ph.D., MBA

Radioterapeutická a onkologická klinika 3. LF UK a FN Královské Vinohrady, Praha

SUMMARY

Pancreatic cancer represents disease with the worst long-term survival across all malignancies. In clinical practice, due to asymptomatic or non-specific signs and symptoms we diagnose patients mainly with locally advanced and metastatic disease, where median survival is approximately one year. Nevertheless, even in early stages after curative surgery we observe early local recurrence, or distant metastases and long-term survival is an exception even in early stages of disease. Nevertheless, in the last few years there is an improvement in median overall survival also in patients with pancreatic cancer. It is due to advancements in diagnostics, surgery, but mainly due to improvements in cancer treatment (chemotherapy - adjuvant, neoadjuvant, perioperative, induction and palliative, and also radiotherapy). There were published results of many studies across all stages (resectable, borderline resectable, locally advanced, metastatic) which showed improved survival. The aim of this article is to provide overview of current treatment options for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Key words

resectable pancreatic cancer, borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, locally advanced pancreatic cancer, metastatic pancreatic cancer, chemotherapy, radiotherapy