Clinical efficacy of nab-paclitaxel in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer

Purpose: Pancreatic carcinoma is the neoplasia with the major mortality, and main standardtreatments in this cancer increase survival but do not lead to complete recovery of the patient.The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Abraxane® (nab-paclitaxel) in Italianpatients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC).Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 80 patients. Overall survival(OS) was the primary end point for evaluating the efficacy of nab-paclitaxel in combinationwith gemcitabine treatment, while carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) reduction, safety,progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate and reduction in pain were secondaryend points.Results: The median OS was 8 months, and the median PFS was 5 months. A considerabledifference in CA 19-9 before and after treatment was observed. Descriptive and correlationanalyses were done to examine the relationship between CA 19-9 response and OS. Linearregression analysis between OS and CA 19-9 response revealed that CA 19-9 is an importantpredictor of OS, showing a positive correlation.Conclusion: Nab-paclitaxel is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for patients affected byMPC. The drug showed an improved tolerability profile, significant pain relief and an increasein survival rate.