Management of Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal and clinically challenging malignancies to treat, with an estimated 5-year survival rate of approximately 7%. At the time of initial presentation, a majority of patients have metastatic disease. The median overall survival in these patients with good performance status is 8.5 to 11.1 months and in patients with significantly impaired performance status, even less. Strategies to integrate novel agents with traditional cytotoxic therapies are under investigation and hold promise for improving outcomes in patients with metastatic PDAC. This article focuses on the current management options and novel therapeutics for metastatic PDAC.