Metastatic pancreatic cancer response to treatment with cetuximab and gemcitabine plus capecitabine: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

The treatment of pancreatic cancer remains a formidable challenge to clinicians. Here we describe the case of a 57-year-old man with metastatic pancreatic cancer who received combination treatment with cetuximab and capecitabine plus gemcitabine for four cycles. Repeat CT scan showed that the size of both the primary tumor in the pancreas and the metastatic lesions in the liver had shrunk significantly. Rapid reduction of the serum CA19-9 level was observed, and no serious toxic events occurred. The patient had a progression-free survival of eight months at the time we wrote this paper. The combination of cetuximab and capecitabine plus gemcitabine may be a useful therapy in metastatic pancreatic cancer.