Chemotherapy switch for localized pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Esther N. Dekker, Raja R. Narayan, Mohamed A. Ahmami, Anis Meddouch, Eva M.M. Verkolf, Anne M. Gehrels, Marc G.H. Besselink, Casper H.J. van Eijck, Marjolein Y.V. Homs, Bianca Mostert, Grainne M. O'Kane, Roeland F. de Wilde, Johanna W. Wilmink, Eileen M. O'Reilly, Motaz Qadan, Bas Groot Koerkamp*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Patients with localized (that is non-metastatic) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with an inadequate response or toxicity to first-line chemotherapy may benefit from chemotherapy switch. The aim was to explore the available data on the use and effect of chemotherapy switch, as reported in the literature. 

METHODS: 

A systematic search was conducted in Embase, MEDLINE (Ovid), the Web of Science, Cochrane, and Google Scholar on 1 December 2023. The main outcomes were the proportion of patients who underwent chemotherapy switch and the carbohydrate antigen 19-9 response and resection, R0 resection, and ypN0 resection rates after chemotherapy switch. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. 

RESULTS: 

A total of five retrospective studies, representing 863 patients with localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, were included and 226 of the 863 patients underwent chemotherapy switch. In four studies, first-line chemotherapy consisted of 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/irinotecan with oxaliplatin ('FOLFIRINOX') and patients were switched to gemcitabine with nab-paclitaxel. Reasons for chemotherapy switch included an inadequate biochemical, clinical, or radiological response, or toxicity. Three studies compared patients who underwent chemotherapy switch with patients who only received first-line chemotherapy and found that the proportion of patients who underwent chemotherapy switch was 20.5% (95% c.i. 10.5% to 36.3%). The pooled resection rate after chemotherapy switch was 42.0% (95% c.i. 16.6% to 72.5%). Two studies compared the chance of resection after chemotherapy switch versus first-line chemotherapy alone and found a risk ratio of 0.88 (95% c.i. 0.65 to 1.18). Two studies, with a combined total of 576 patients, found similar postoperative survival for patients who underwent chemotherapy switch and patients who only received first-line chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION: 

One in five patients with localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma underwent chemotherapy switch after an inadequate response or toxicity to first-line chemotherapy. The pooled resection rate after chemotherapy switch was 42% and similar in overall survival compared with first-line chemotherapy only. Three ongoing trials are investigating chemotherapy switch in patients with an inadequate radiological or carbohydrate antigen 19-9 response.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberznae244
JournalThe British journal of surgery
Volume111
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Foundation Ltd.

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