Radiotherapy in the Management of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNET): Experience at Three Institutions
- 1Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- 2University of South Alabama Mitchell Cancer Institute, Mobile, AL, USA
- 3Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Correspondence to: M. Wasif Saif, MD, Tufts University School of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Director, GI Oncology Program 800 Washington Street, Box 245, Boston, MA 02111, U.S.A. Tel: +1 6176365627, Fax: +1 6176368535, e-mail: wsaif{at}tuftsmedicalcenter.org
Abstract
Aim: Advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET) presents a therapeutic challenge as many are unresectable and relatively resistant to systemic therapy with a high malignant potential. We share our experience using concurrent capecitabine or infusional 5-fluorouracil with radiation for patients with resected and locally advanced PNET. Patients and Methods: Six patients (two females, four males) with PNET were treated with capecitabine or infusional 5-FU and concurrent radiation. Results: The median age was 52 years (range: 38 to 63 years), with ECOG Performance Status (PS) 0-1, grade 0-1 weight loss, and grade 0-1 pain. One patient underwent resection with negative margins, two with positive margins, and three had unresectable locally advanced disease. All six patients demonstrated partial radiographic response and sustained local control. The treatment was tolerable with only grade 2 hand-foot syndrome and grade 1 mucositis observed. Conclusion: Prospective studies to further investigate the role of chemoradiation in this setting are warranted.
- Received March 5, 2013.
- Revision received April 8, 2013.
- Accepted April 9, 2013.
- Copyright© 2013 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved
