Dr. Cohn on Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Allen L. Cohn, MD, medical oncologist, Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, discusses the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not a standard of care in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, but it is becoming prevalent in those with borderline resectable disease, says Cohn. The goal of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is to shrink tumors, subsequently enabling a successful R0 resection and improved overall survival.

Several studies are now also looking at giving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced disease as an alternative approach. Recent data from investigators at the Mayo Clinic suggest that among patients who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy, those whose CA-19-9 levels normalize and patients who complete the full course of treatment have improved survival approaching 60 months, concludes Cohn.