A Phase II multicenter study in China has found that the chemotherapy combination of nab-paclitaxel and S-1 (SnP) may be an effective and well-tolerated treatment for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The regimen could provide an alternative for patients who are unable to tolerate more intensive therapies such as mFOLFIRINOX.
Among 60 patients with initially unresectable disease, the 6-month progression-free survival rate was 71%, with a median progression-free survival of 11.1 months and a median overall survival of 20.2 months. The disease control rate reached 90%, and 26.7% of patients experienced tumor shrinkage. In addition, nearly 70% of patients with elevated CA19-9 levels achieved at least a 50% reduction in the biomarker.
Importantly, 11 patients became eligible for surgery after treatment, with 10 undergoing successful tumor removal. Severe treatment-related side effects occurred in 53.3% of patients, and no treatment-related deaths were reported. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results.