Mix of pancreatic cancer drugs extends survival, study shows

Cancer campaigners in the UK are hailing a “monumental leap forward” in pancreatic cancer treatment after a new drug trial significantly extended survival from what is the most lethal form of the disease.

The clinical trial found that 29 per cent of patients given a combination of two chemotherapy drugs lived for at least five years compared with 16 per cent who received the one chemotherapy drug that is still the National Health Service’s standard treatment.

The results are important because they could lead to an improvement in the prospects for people who develop pancreatic cancer, which has the lowest survival rates among the 21 most common forms of the disease and kills about 8,800 in England a year. Only one in 100 people survive for 10 or more years after their diagnosis.

According to the Irish National Cancer Registry, about 500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on the island of Ireland each year, with about the same number of deaths from the disease.

"These results are a monumental leap forward in pancreatic cancer treatment. We believe this could herald a true step change in the treatment of this tough cancer, offering substantially more patients who have had surgery the chance to live for longer and, crucially, without significant added side-effects," said Leanne Reynolds, head of research at the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK.

The ESPAC-4 (European study group for pancreatic cancer) trial involved 732 patients from 92 hospitals in England, Scotland, Wales, Germany, France and Sweden. Of those given both gemcitabine and capecitabine, 28.8 per cent survived for at least five years, compared with just 16.3 per cent who received only gemcitabine, according to the findings published in the Lancet medical journal.

"This is one of the biggest ever breakthroughs prolonging survival for pancreatic cancer patients," said Prof John Neoptolemos of Liverpool University, who lead the team of researchers.

“When this combination becomes the new standard of care it will give many patients living with the disease valuable months and even years.” The two drugs taken together extend median overall survival from 25 and a half months for those on gemcitabine alone to 28 months, according to the study, which has been published in the Lancet.

“The difference in short-term survival may seem modest, but improvement in long-term survival is substantial for this type of cancer,” added Prof Neoptolemos. – (Guardian Service)