Background: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with gemcitabine improves median survival for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. Recently, hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART) has been used to treat these patients; however, the safety and efficacy are not well defined.
Patients and methods: The standard-fractionated radiotherapy (SFRT) group (n=17) received 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions of 1.8 Gy/day. The HART group (n=18) received 50 Gy in 40 fractions of 1.25 Gy twice/day. Concurrent gemcitabine was administered to both groups.
Results: Median survival times were 11.3 months (SFRT) and 12.9 months (HART). One- and two-year survival rates were 37.5% and 18.8% (SFRT) and 47.1% and 17.6% (HART), respectively. The response rates did not differ significantly. The HART regimen required significantly fewer treatment days (35.5) than did the SFRT regimen (41.3). The toxicity profiles were similar.
Conclusion: The HART/gemcitabine regimen has equivalent efficacy and a shorter treatment time as compared with the SFRT/gemcitabine regimen for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.