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Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 28, 2014; 20(40): 14733-14746
Published online Oct 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i40.14733
Table 1 Major adjuvant chemotherapy trials in pancreatic cancer
Final analysis
Survival (95%CI)
Disease-free survival (DFS)(95%CI)
Year publishedAuthor/groupTreatment arms (n)T3N+R0Median survival (mo)1-yr survival2-yr survival3-yr survival5-yr survivalMedian DFS (mo)1-yr DFS2-yr DFS3-yr DFS5-yr DFS
1993Bakkevold5-FU/doxorubicin/mitomycinc (30)NANA100%23-70%27%4%-----
Surgery alone (31)11 (P = 0.02)45%30%8% (P = 0.1)
2001ESPAC-1 (all patients)5-FU/folinic fcid +/- CRT (238)NA53%82%19.7 (16.4-22.4)---------
No chemotherapy +/- CRT (235)14 (11.9-16.5) (HR = 0.66, 0.52-0.83, P = 0.0005)
ESPAC-1 (2 × 2 design only)5-FU/folinic fcid +/- CRT (146)NANANA17.4 (13.5-21.8)---------
No chemotherapy +/- CRT (139)15.9 (13.5-19.2) (HR = 0.82, 0.6-1.11, P = 0.19)
2002Takada5-FU/mitomycin C (89)NA85%58%NA---11.5%----8.6%
Surgery alone (84)18% (log rank NS)7.8% (log rank P = 0.84)
2004ESPAC-1 (2 × 2 final analysis)5-FU/folinic fcid (147)NA54%82%20.1 (16.5-22.7)-40%-21%-----
No chemotherapy +/- CRT (142)15.5 (13-17.7) (HR = 0.71, 0.55-0.92, P = 0.009)30%8%
2006JSAP (Kosuge)Cisplatin/5-FU (45)NA27%100%12.5---26.4%-----
Surgery alone (44)15.814.9% (P = 0.94)
2007CONKO-001 (Oettle)Gemcitabine (179)22.1 (18.4-25.8)72.5%47.5%34%22.5%13.4 (11.4-15.3)58%30.5%23.5%16.5%
Surgery alone (175)8672%83%20.2 (17-23.4) (P = 0.06)72.5%42%20.5%20.5%6.9 (6.1-7.8) (P < 0.001)31%14.5%7.5%5.5%
2008CONKO-001 Final (Neuhaus)Gemcitabine (179)22.8--36.52113.4--23.516.0
Surgery alone (175)20.2 (P = 0.005)19.5%9%6.9 (P < 0.001)8.5%6.5%
2009JSAP-2 (Ueno)Gemcitabine +/- RT (58)86%69%84%22.3 (16.1-30.7)77.6%48.3%-23.9%11.4 (8-14.5)49%27.2%--
Surgery alone +/- RT (60)18.4 (15.1-25.3) (HR = 0.77, 0.51-1.14, P = 0.19)75%40%10.6%5 (3.7-8.9) (HR = 0.6, 0.4-0.89, P = 0.01)26.7%16.7%
2009Collated data ESPAC-1, ESPAC-1 plus, ESPAC-3(v1)5-FU/folinic fcid (233)NA55%75%23.2 (20.1-26.5)77%49%-24%-----
Surgery alone (225)16.8 (14.3-19.2) (HR = 0.7, 0.55-0.88, P = 0.003)63%37%14%
2010ESPAC-3(v2)5-FU/folinic fcid (551)NA72%65%23 (21.1-25)78.5% (75%-82%)48.1% (43.8%-52.4%)--14.1 (12.5-15.3)56.1% (51.8%-60.3%)30.7% (26.7%-34.6%)--
Gemcitabine (537)23.6 (21.4-26.4) (HR = 0.94, 0.81-1.08, P = 0.39)80.1% (76.7%-83.6%)49.1% (44.8-53.4%)14.3 (13.5-15.6)61.3% (57.1%-65.5%)29.6% (25.6%-33.5%)
2013JASPAC-01S-1 (187)87%63%87%46.3-70%--23.2-49%--
Gemcitabine (191)25.5 (P < 0.0001)53% (HR = 0.56, 0.42-0.74, P < 0.0001)11.2 (log rank P < 0.0001)29% (HR = 0.56, 0.43-0.71, log rank P < 0.0001)
Table 2 Meta-analyses of adjuvant chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer
Survival (95%CI)
Year publishedAuthorArm (n)Median survival (mo)2-yr survival5-yr survival
2005Stocken et al[20]CT (348)19 (16.4-21.1)38%19%
No CT (338)13.5 (12.2-15.8)28%12%
2007Boeck et al[24]CT (482)3 mo (0.3-5.7) survival benefit-3.1% (-4.6%-10.8%) survival benefit
No CT (469)with CT vs no CT (P = 0.03)with CT vs no CT (P > 0.05)
2008Butturini et al[25]R0 resections
CT (236)20.8 (17.7-23.2)42% (35%-48%)22% (17%-28%)
No CT (222)13.8 (12.2-16.4)27% (21%-33%)10% (5%-14%)
R1 resections
CT (109)15 (11.7-18.1)29% (20%-38%)14% (7%-21%)
No CT (114)13.2 (10.5-17.6)31% (22%-40%)17% (10%-24%)
2013Liao et al[26]Hazard ratio for death (95%CI)
Flurouracil (876)0.62 (0.42-0.88)
Observation (670)
Gemcitabine (774)0.68 (0.44-1.07)
Observation (670)
Gemcitabine (774)1.1 (0.70-1.86)
Flurouracil (876)
Table 3 Major adjuvant chemoradiotherapy trials in pancreatic cancer
Final analysis
Survival (95%CI)
Disease-free survival (DFS) (95%CI)
Year publishedAuthor/groupTreatment arms (n)T3N+R0Median survival (mo)2-yr survival3-yr survival5-yr survivalMedian DFS (mo)2-yr DFS
1985GITSGCRT (21)37281002143% (0.25%-0.63%)----
Surgery alone (22)10.918% (0.08%-0.36%)
1999EORTC5-FU/RT (104)21467724.551% (41%-61%)-28% (17%-39%)17.438% (28%-48%)
Surgery alone (103)19 (log rank P = 0.208)41% (31%-51%)22% (12%-32%)16 (P = 0.643)37% (27%-47%) (P = 0.643)
5-FU/RT (60)051NA17.137% (24%-50%)-20% (5%-35%)--
Surgery alone (54)12.6 (log rank P = 0.099)23% (11%-35%)10% (0%-20%)
2001ESPAC-1 (all patients)CRT +/- 5-FU/folinic acid (175)NA568215.5 (13.5-17.4)-----
No CRT +/- 5-FU/folinic acid (178)16.1 (13.1-20.1) (HR = 1.18, 0.9-1.55, P = 0.24)
ESPAC-1 (2 × 2 design only)CRT +/- 5-FU/folinic acid (142)NANANA15.8 (13.5-19.4)-----
No CRT +/- 5-FU/folinic acid (143)17.8 (14-23.6) (HR = 1.3, 0.96-1.77, P = 0.09)
2004ESPAC-1 (2 × 2 final analysis)CRT +/- 5-FU/folinic acid (145)NA538215.9 (13.7-19.9)29%-10%--
No CRT +/- 5-FU/folinic acid (144)17.9 (14.8-23.6) (HR = 1.28, 0.99-1.66, P = 0.05)41%20%
ESPAC-1 (Individual Treatment Groups)5-FU/folinic acid (75)21.6 (13.5-27.3)29%
CRT + 5-FU/folinic acid (72)19.9 (14.2-22.5)--13%--
Observation (69)16.9 (12.3-24.8)11%
CRT (73)13.9 (12.2-17.3)7%
2006RTOG 97-04CRT + 5-FU (230)756666No significant difference-----
CRT + gemcitabine (221)
CRT + 5-FU (201)NANANA16.9-22%---
CRT + gemcitabine (187)20.5 (HR = 0.82, 0.65-1.03, P = 0.09)31%
2011RTOG 97-04 (5-yr analysis)CRT + 5-FU (230)756666No significant difference35%23%19%n/s-
CRT + gemcitabine (221)HR = 0.933, 0.76-1.145, P = 0.5140%27%19%
CRT + 5-FU (201)NANANA17.134%21%18% (13%-24%)--
CRT + gemcitabine (187)20.542%28%22%
2012CapRI (Schmidt)5-FU/cisplatin/interferon α-2b → RT → 5-FU (53)97796132.1 (22.8-42.2)---15.2 (10.3-24.8)-
5-FU/folinic acid (57)28.5 (19.5-38.6) (HR = 1.2, 0.49-2.95, P = 0.49)11.5 (9.8-17.6) (P = 0.61)
Table 4 Meta-analyses of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in pancreatic cancer
Survival (95%CI)
Year publishedAuthorArm (n)Median survival (mo)2-yr survival5-year survival
2005Stocken et al[20]CRT15.8 (13.9-18.1)30%12%
No CRT15.2 (13.1-18.2)34%17%
2008Butturini et al[25]R0 Resections
CRT (188)15.9 (14-18.5)30% (23%-36%)10% (5%-15%)
No CRT (183)15.8 (13.4-20.1)38% (31%-45%)20% (13%-26%)
R1 Resections
CRT (53)14.7 (11.5-20.5)30% (17%-42%)18% (7%-29%)
No CRT (53)11.2 (9.4-16.7)19% (8%-31%)8% (0%-16%)
2013Liao et al[26]Hazard ratio for death (95%CI)
Chemoradiation (169)0.91 (0.55-1.46)
Observation (670)
Chemoradiation + 5-FU (323)0.87 (0.27-2.69)
5-FU (876)
Chemoradiation + 5-FU (323)0.59 (0.19-1.74)
Chemoradiation (169)
Chemoradiation + gemcitabine (221)0.82 (0.4-1.71)
Chemoradiation + 5-FU (323)
Table 5 Current phase III trials investigating adjuvant therapy in pancreatic cancer
Trial numberCo-ordinating countryFirst enrolmentTarget sample size (n)Adjuvant treatment armsPrimary outcomeSecondary outcomes (clinical only)
ISRCTN96397434United Kingdom20081396(I) GemcitabineOSToxicity
(ESPAC-4)(II) Gemcitabine plus capecitabineQuality of life
OS at 2 and 5 yr
DFS at 5 yr
DRKS00000247Germany2008436(I) GemcitabineDFSOS
(CONKO-005)(II) Gemcitabine plus erlotinibToxicity
NCT01013649United States2009950(I) GemcitabineOSDFS
(RTOG 0848)(II) Gemcitabine plus erlotinibToxicity
If DFS at end of treatment (I) or (II), further randomisation to:Correlation between baseline fatigue and survival
(III) A further course of (I) or (II) as previously received plus Capcitabine CRT
(IV) A further course of (I) or (II) as previously received plus 5-FU CRT
NCT01072981United States2010722Gemcitabine +/- 5-FU CRT +/- HyperAcute®-Pancreas (algenpantucel-L) immunotherapyOS
NCT01526135France/Canada2012490(I) GemcitabineDFS at 3 yrOS at 3 yr
(II) mFolfirinox (5-FU, folinic acid, irinotecan, oxaliplatin)
NCT01077427Germany2012336(I) GemcitabineDFSOS
(II) Gemcitabine plus cisplatin plus regional hyperthermia
NCT01964430United StatesNot yet active-(I) GemcitaineDFS/OS
(II) Gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel