Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy in Patients Undergoing First-Line Gemcitabine Plus

BACKGROUND

The clinical consequences of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and its treatment in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are poorly investigated. This retrospective study aims at investigating the pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) use and its impact on survival and maldigestion-related symptoms in advanced PDAC patients undergoing chemotherapy.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on advanced PDAC patients, treated with first-line gemcitabine plus

RESULTS

Data from 110 patients were gathered. PERT was administered in 55 patients (50%). No significant differences in baseline characteristics with those who did not receive PERT were found. Median OS for the entire group was 12 months (95% CI 9-15). At multivariate analysis, previous surgical resection of the primary tumor, (HR 2.67,

CONCLUSION

PERT is associated with significantly prolonged survival and maldigestion-related symptoms alleviation in advanced PDAC patients.

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2021 Trestini, Carbognin, Peretti, Sperduti, Caldart, Tregnago, Avancini, Auriemma, Orsi, Pilotto, Frulloni, Capurso, Bria, Reni, Tortora and Milella.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: IT reported speakers’ fees from Mylan and Fresenius Kabi. LC received honoraria or speakers’ fee from Novartis, Istituto Gentili and Eli-Lilly. SP received honoraria or speakers’ fee from Astra-Zeneca, Eli-Lilly, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD and Roche. MR received travel expenses and personal honoraria for advisory boards from Celgene, Merck, Astra-Zeneca, Baxalta (2016), Baxter, Sanofi (2017), Servier, Shire, Eli Lilly, Pfizer (2016), Novocure (2016) and Novartis (2016), personal honoraria for steering committee work for AstraZeneca, and non-remunerated steering committee activities for Boston Pharmaceuticals. EB received speakers’ and travels’ fee from MSD, Astra-Zeneca, Celgene, Pfizer, Helsinn, Eli-Lilly, BMS, Novartis and Roche. EB received consultant’s fee from Roche, Pfizer. EB received institutional research grants from Astra-Zeneca, Roche. MM received speakers’ honoraria from and participated on advisory boards for: EUSA Pharma, Pfizer, MSD, AstraZeneca, Merck‐Serono and Mylan. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.