Result of Multi-modality Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer

We evaluated the results of cancer therapies rather than surgery in 167 patients with pancreatic cancer treated at our department during the past 17-year period after excluding those with islet cell tumor or cytoadenocarcinoma and those who died due to operation. In the group not treated by resection, survival was significantly longer in patients treated by combined modality treatment than in those not treated by any therapy. Prolongation of the mean survival rate for combined modality treatment was more marked in patients with bilio-enteric bypass operation without peritoneal dissemination or hepatic metastasis ; the mean survival was 2.6 months in the group not treated by any therapy, 6.0 months in that treated by chemotherapy alone, and 7.2 months in that treated by combined modality treatment. As anti-cancer drug, 5-FU was the most effective. Better results were obtained in patients who received 4,000 rad radiation or more than in those who received less than4,000 rads. In the patients who underwent resection, better results were obtained in those who underwent combined adjuvant treatment