Results of a randomised phase II study of cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil versus cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil with α-interferon in metastatic pancreatic cancer: An EORTC gastrointestinal tract cancer group trial

A randomised phase II study of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus cisplatin (CDDP) with or without α-interferon 2b was performed in patients with pancreatic cancer with measurable metastatic disease outside the pancreas. The treatment in arm A consisted of cisplatin (100 mg/m 2) on day 1, followed by a continuous infusion of 5-FU 1000 mg/m 2 for 4 days and in arm B the same treatment was given plus α-interferon 2b in a dose of 3 million Units/day subcutaneously (s.c.) from day 1 for 5 days. 36 patients were entered in the trial, 18 in each arm. In arm B only 15 patients were eligible. No responses were observed in the 5-FU/CDDP arm and only 2 partial responses were achieved in the interferon-arm, lasting 27 and 32 weeks, respectively. Both treatment arms showed considerable toxicity. It has to be concluded that both treatment regimens have little activity and cannot be recommended.

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