A case series of patients with pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma treated with nab- paclitaxel at a single institution

Background: Locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer patients have a poor prognosis with median survival less than 12 months. Nanoparticle albumin bound (nab)-paclitaxel is a novel agent that has demonstrated antitumor effects in cancers that overexpress the albumin binding protein SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine), which includes pancreatic cancer. A recent phase III trial comparing nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine to gemcitabine alone demon-strated a survival advantage in patients with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer. Here we present our local experience with this drug in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. Methods: Patients treated with nab-paclitaxel for gastrointestinal malignancies at the Cross Can