Adjuvant gemcitabine plus S-1 chemotherapy after surgical resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Background The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of adjuvant gemcitabine plus S-1 chemotherapy for patients with pancreatic carcinoma. Methods Patients admitted for curative surgery for pancreatic adenocarcinoma received adjuvant chemotherapy with 10 cycles of gemcitabine plus S-1 every 2 weeks. Each chemotherapy cycle consisted of intravenous gemcitabine, 700 mg/m2, on day 1 and orally administered S-1, 50 mg/m2, for 7 consecutive days, after which there was a 1-week pause of chemotherapy. Results Twenty-seven patients were entered into this study. According to the TNM system, 4 (15%), 2 (7%), 6 (22%), and 15 (56%) patients were diagnosed with stage IA, IB, IIA, and IIB disease, respectively. Overall and disease-free survival rates were 86% and 60% at 1 year, 66% and 45% at 2 years, and 33% and 45% at 3 years, respectively. Toxicity during chemotherapy was mild. Conclusions Adjuvant gemcitabine plus S-1 chemotherapy appears to be a promising treatment for patients after surgical resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.