Unresectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas: patterns of failure and treatment results

We retrospectively reviewed the outcome of 36 consecutive patients seen in our department with nonmetastatic unresectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. There were 28 men and 8 women with a mean age of 63.7 years (range, 43-78 years). Radiation therapy (RT) was given to all patients. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) was given as a bolus (500-1000 mg/m2/day) during the first and last weeks of RT in 22 patients, whereas continuous 5-FU (225 mg/m2/day) was given to 3 patients. The median survival for all patients was 10 months. Overall survival for all patients at 1 and 3 years was 47.2% and 19.1%, respectively. The pancreas, peritoneum, liver, and lungs were components of failure in 66.7%, 33.3%, 14.8%, and 14.8%, respectively. Local control was a major problem in patients treated for unresectable pancreatic cancer. The results of this study confirm the dismal prognosis of these patients.