The effect of jaundice on the generation of anti-gastrin antibodies in G17DT immunized patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Aim The aim of this study was to determine the ability of G17DT to generate anti-gastrin antibodies in jaundiced patients with biliary obstruction due to advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods G17DT was administered to 41 patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma by intramuscular (i.m.) injection at a dose of 250 mcg at weeks 0, 1 and 3 of the study. Results Thirty-five of 41 patients participating in the study were categorized as responders in terms of their gastrin-17 antibody response. There was no correlation between the maximum G17 antibody response and the bilirubin level at either week 0 or week 12. The median survival of patients from the time of the first injection of G17DT was 204 days with 25% of patients surviving for ≤97 days and 25% of patients surviving for ≥305 days. Conclusion This study shows that G17DT administered to jaundiced patients with advanced pancreatic cancer is immunogenic and well tolerated.