[Combined gemcitabine and radiotherapy]

Gemcitabine is a molecule presenting with major radiosensitizing or radio-potentiator capacities. This property has been extensively studied in vitro, with clinical therapeutic implications. Chemotherapy and radiation are very often used together, most of the time concurrently. This review analyses the results obtained with combined gemcitabine and radiation, for non small cell lung cancer, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, head and neck and uterine cervix carcinomas. Several therapeutic schemes are presented, for each tumor location. A description of the toxicities observed is presented, including the recall phenomenon description. Promising results justify the numerous current trials, as well as enthusiasm initiated by this therapeutic association.