Abstract
Gemcitabine (GEM) has been the most widely used chemotherapeutic agent for advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) since 2001 in Japan. We investigated the results of chemotherapy for APC from 2001-2004 in our institute. Eighty-nine patients with APC received chemotherapy. Median survival time (MST) was 7.9 months and one year survival (1y-SR) was 23.9%. These results were superior to those in 1991-2000 (MST; 4.8 months, 1y-SR; 8.0%). Phase II study of irrinotecan (CPT-11) demonstrated that CPT-11 was useful in the chemotherapy for APC (response rate; 27.0%, MST; 7.3 months, 1y-SR; 29.5%).
