来自英国的III期临床研究的初步结果显示希罗达联合吉西他滨与吉西他滨单药对比，能延长晚期胰腺癌的生存期生存曲线如下：（吉西他滨单药组266例，吉西他滨联合希罗达组267例，单药组的一年生存率19％，而联合组则为26％，P＝0.014）

Early trial results show survival improvement for pancreatic cancer

Adding a new chemotherapy drug to standard treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer has shown dramatic improvement in survival, a new study from Cancer Research UK reveals today (Wednesday).

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat and those diagnosed with the disease have an overall one year survival rate of only 13 per cent.

Preliminary results of a phase III clinical trial have shown patients receiving a new combination of chemotherapy drugs have a one year survival rate of 26 per cent compared to 19 per cent for those on the trial receiving the standard chemotherapy.

Presenting the data at the 13th European Cancer Conference (ECCO) in Paris today, researchers outlined the importance of improving the treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer. In most cases chemotherapy is the only treatment option and most patients die within a year of diagnosis.

The trial, called GEMCAP, recruited over 500 UK patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. One group had the standard treatment of a chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine. The second group had a combination of gemcitabine and capecitabine.

Current chemotherapy is given intravenously, meaning the patient must attend hospital and be monitored while receiving the treatment. The new drug can be taken in tablet form, allowing patients to take it at home, and not have to spend extra time in hospital.

Professor David Cunningham from the Institute of Cancer Research at the Royal Marsden Hospital London and lead investigator of the trial says: “This trial is starting to show we can offer pancreatic cancer patients precious extra time with a new treatment that can be taken in tablet form. These results are an important milestone in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.”

He adds: “We have been able to show that adding capecitabine to the standard treatment of gemcitabine improves tumour control and the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer without any major additional toxicity. Gemcitabine and capecitabine should now be considered one of the standard options for the treatment of patients with this disease.”