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The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and the toxicity of a full dose of gemcitabine and a single dose of cisplatin with concurrent radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Forty-one patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer were enrolled. Patients received gemcitabine (1000 mg m À2 on days 1, 8, 15, 29, and 36) and cisplatin (70 mg m À2 on days 1 and 29) with concurrent radiotherapy (45 Gy in 25 fractions). Treatment was completed in 38 out of 41 patients (92.7%). The overall response rate was 24.4% (two complete and eight partial). Six patients (14.6%) underwent definite pancreatic resection and four had negative surgical margins. The intention of the treatment analysis showed that the median survival time and median time to tumour progression were 16.7 and 8.9 months. The 1-and 2-year survival rates were 63.3 and 27.9%, respectively. Overall survival was significantly longer in the low baseline CA19-9 group and therapeutic responders. Toxicities were tolerable and successfully managed by conservative treatments. The therapeutic scheme of a weekly full dose of gemcitabine and a single dose of cisplatin combined with external radiation is effective and might prolong the survival of patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Interface reaction, phase transition, and composition were investigated for Co thin films on amorphous SiC films as a function of heat treatment (600-1000~ Amorphous SiC layers were grown on (001) Si substrate by magnetron sputter deposition. The SiC layers had a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio of Si to C and an amorphous structure containing microcrystals. The interface reaction between a sputter-deposited Co (250.~ thick) and amorphous SiC (2000~ thick) layer on a (001) Si substrate induced by vacuum annealing at temperatures of 600-1000~ was examined. Co2Si was formed at 700~ as the first crystalline phase and CoSi at 800~ as the final stable phase of the Co/SiC interface reaction. This phase sequence of C%Si-~CoSi was interpreted in terms of the effective heat of formation and the calculated ternary Co-Si-C phase diagram, and it was consistent with the experimental results. The high formation temperature of the first crystalline Co2Si phase and no formation of a final stable CoSi 2 phase are discussed in comparison with Co/Si interface reaction and related to the binding energy of the reacting materials. In addition, the behavior of free carbon remaining after the Co/SiC reaction was investigated. This free carbon moved to the top of the reacted cobalt silicide/SiC layer.

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