Intra-arterial Chemotherapy in Patients With Metastatic or Locally Aggressive Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma refers to cancer of the pancreatic duct cells. It is normally diagnosed when it is at an advanced stage, making the prognosis poor. Systemic chemotherapy is the primary treatment approach for locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer and has been shown to improve survival by eight to 16 weeks. However, it does not directly penetrate malignant tissue and has many side effects, such as hair loss, bone marrow suppression, and many gastrointestinal issues. A newer treatment modality, regional intraarterial chemotherapy (IAC), focuses on targeting malignant tissue directly to improve survival and decrease systemic side effects. When IAC is used with gemcitabine (GEM) or FLEC (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, epirubicin, and carboplatin), the response rate for advanced pancreatic cancer is significantly improved. This literature review introduces the use of hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.