3 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This study will implement a new treatment regimen for patients with advanced and inoperable pancreatic cancer using chemotherapy combinations of Folfirinox or gemcitabine-nab paclitaxel (abraxane) followed by a short course of high dose radiation called Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). While the chemotherapy is standard of care, the strategy of adding SBRT has not been investigated. An increase in the percentage of patients who can proceed to have surgery to remove their disease is anticipated with this approach.
The prognosis of patients with locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer is poor, and the median survival is less than 1 year. FOLFIRINOX therapy, which induces tumor downstaging sufficient to allow surgical resection, could improve the overall survival of patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Based on the FOLFIRINOX regimen for advanced pancreatic cancer, a phase II study of this regimen in patients with locally advanced unresectable and borderline pancreatic cancer is planned to determine the rate of conversion to operability.
The prognosis for patients with localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma who are not surgical candidates is poor. Patients characterized as having "borderline resectable" disease treated with preoperative chemo-radiotherapy fair somewhat better - although many of these patients are not converted to resectability. It may be argued that intensification of local and regional therapy might 1.) Increase the share of patients able to undergo curative surgery and 2.) Improve the local disease control interval and extend survival for patients who remain unresectable. Therefore, the purpose of this research study is to determine if an increase in the number of surgical resection pancreatic adenocarcinoma is higher than historical data by using a combined treatment of proton radiation with capecitabine (oral chemotherapy).