Gemcitabine holds its own in pancreatic cancer

Gemcitabine prolongs disease-free survival in patients with resected pancreatic cancer, according to data presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) [Orlando, Florida, US; May 2005]. In a phase III study, patients receiving gemcitabine within 6 weeks of resection had a longer duration of disease-free survival, compared with those receiving observation alone. Two other studies presented at the meeting showed that combination chemotherapy regimens including gemcitabine were no more effective than gemcitabine monotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.